I Can't Get No Satisfaction
by VaBabe
Summary: Part I of a Series: Stephanie deals with her *frustrations* amidst being presented with an unusual opportunity that will take her far from Trenton. Babe-fic, not Cupcake friendly, rating for language, situations and eventual smut.
1. Chapter 1

_Not mine, they belong to JE. The unfamiliar ones are my OCs. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Hope you enjoy – this is my first. Much thanks to Kashy, the super-Beta and to SWD for all their help!  
_

CHAPTER ONE

You know how you do something really bad when you're younger and you'll do anything to avoid your punishment? Throughout my life, I've found myself in that situation more often than I care to count. I've always gone to great extremes to hide away in my land of denial, pretending that whatever disaster I had gotten into hadn't actually occurred – and hoping that if I avoided the situation long enough, it would all just blow over. Despite my best efforts, though, I never have managed to be that lucky.

A while back when Joe and I had briefly called it quits, Ranger and I shared one fabulous night together – Ranger is extraordinary at everything he does and that night was no exception. The next day though wreaked havoc on my heart since it didn't take him long to send me back to Morelli.

I've thought about that night a lot, as well as the stolen kisses that Ranger and I have since shared. And the couple of times we've had to temporarily move in together due to various crises in our lives. Those few chaste nights when we've slept together in the same bed have been especially on my mind – thinking about what would happen if things got a little un-chaste…

And this is how I got into trouble.

Ranger had been out of town for a couple of weeks, off to save the world from the forces of evil. Since his departure, I had been in a bad state, replaying our intimate moments over and over again in my head. I was in my apartment, lying in bed, going through this routine for maybe the third time that day, when I heard my front door softly close. I squeezed my eyes shut and rolled over onto my stomach as I waited expectantly for my visitor to reveal himself.

I didn't hear any footsteps coming down the hall to my bedroom, but I could feel him looking down at my back as he stood silently beside my bed for several moments. Without looking, I knew exactly who my visitor was, and I quickly formed a plan that would help satisfy my longing. I lay perfectly still, waiting for him to make the first move.

The bed dipped suddenly behind me and I let out a soft sigh at the familiar warmth at my back, as his hands came around to pull my hips back against him. It started out slowly, with gentle kisses across my shoulders. I didn't protest when a strong hand reached under my neck, draping over my shoulder to tease my breasts. I leaned back into him, feeling his arousal pressed against me. His intoxicating kisses wandered over to the hyper-sensitive skin that joined my neck and shoulder.

Every part of my body was tingling with anticipation as I imagined my earlier fantasies fulfilled. My breath hitched as I pictured what it would be like again to take it too far, my legs wrapped around those divine mocha-latte hips while masterful hands explored and caressed my body.

I stretched an arm up and around his neck, pulling him closer to me, wanting to feel his long silky hair in my fingers. I thrust my hand up to reach his ponytail, only to find it was gone. I grasped the now short hair, pushing his lips urgently into my neck as I let out a slight moan.

"Sounds like you've missed me, Cupcake."

The crash back to reality was harsh. Had Joe continued his seduction in silence, my plan to fool my body would have succeeded. As it was, my moment was ruined and the overwhelming guilt that followed wouldn't allow me to continue to use Joe's talents to satisfy my craving for a Ranger-induced orgasm.

_~oOo~_

That had been a week ago, and I had been avoiding Joe since. I knew it wasn't a long-term solution to my problem, but old habits die hard. Truth was, this problem was getting out of control fast and I had to find some way of reigning in my hormones. It turned out, however, that this was not the day to start.

It was Saturday afternoon. I was sprawled across my couch, where I had camped out for the last two days, tissue boxes and bags of cough drops piled around me as I recovered from some god-awful virus that was now racking my body with coughs.

Looking up, I was surprised to see Ranger standing in my doorway. I knew he had returned a few days ago, but our paths hadn't crossed yet.

"Babe." Ranger was taking in my bloodshot, watery eyes and rubbed-raw nose.

"I'm doing a lot better – really. You should have seen me when my nose wouldn't stop running and I was sneezing non-stop. I had some serious ectoplasm going on."

"Nice." He gave me one of his rare, full-wattage smiles.

Ranger sauntered over to the couch and unceremoniously lifted my ankles off the cushion, dropping them back into his lap once he was settled on the other end of the couch. The contact had me tingling as I stole an appreciative glance at his striking profile. He dropped a bag of take-out on the coffee table in front of us.

"So, you come bearing gifts?" I had noted the tell-tale chopsticks peeking out of the top of the bag and was fervently sending up promises of penance and good deeds if it turned out that in fact the Man of Mystery had been kind enough to bring me some Chinese food. I had been coasting on Chunky-Monkey and microwave popcorn for the last two days, and could really use a substantial meal. Of course, this would have been the case whether I was sick or not – Chunky-Monkey and popcorn have their nutritional merits in my opinion and always have a prominent place on my grocery list.

"Thought you could use a real meal. I shudder to think what you've been living off of – you haven't left your apartment in days." He pulled out the coveted red-and-white take-out boxes. I was really hoping he had thought to get me an egg-roll, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up. In fact, I was hesitant to ask what he had ordered for me, ever mindful of his usual leaf-and-twig diet.

"You know me; I survive primarily on sugars and carbs. Since my cooking skills are – well, rather non-traditional, I've had to learn to adapt," I said, a little defensively. When I actually get around to grocery shopping, my cabinets are typically stocked with the basic necessities: chips, peanut-butter, popcorn, Tastykakes… these are my staples.

Ranger raised an eyebrow in response as he passed me a take-out box of General Taos's Chicken – Yes! – and opened a container of steamed vegetables for himself.

"It's true. I'm just one of Nature's many examples proving Darwin's Theory of Evolution - adjusting to meet the challenges of my environment." I eyed the paper bag to see if the Take-Out gods had blessed me with my prized egg-roll. "You could learn a lot about adaptability from me."

"Babe, I can think of some other skills that I'd be more interested in having you demonstrate for me." I felt my face flush scarlet at the images conjured by that train of thought. I quickly looked down again at the take-out bag, eager for some sort of distraction as I attempted to keep my hormones in check.

"Looking for this?" Ranger asked. Turns out I was going to have to fit some serious penance and good-deed doing into my schedule as my much-sought-after egg-roll was resting delicately in the center of his large palm. I reached out to snatch the offering from his hand when he pulled it back, teasing me by holding it just out of my reach.

"Care to make an exchange?"

If only he knew what I'd be willing to trade – And it's hard to say which would actually be the reward…Actually, I take that back – the egg-roll didn't stand a chance…

"Let's see." I decided to play along and hopefully steer the conversation towards safer waters. "Maybe I could offer to do your laundry for a week?"

"No good," he answered as he gently tugged on one of my frizzy curls. "There's no direct benefit for me with that deal. Although Ella might be happy with the arrangement." Ella is a goddess in her own right and whenever I've been treated to a visit to Ranger's apartment, I've been thoroughly pampered by all of her excellent home-making skills. I considered for a second that I probably owed her a month of laundry duty, recalling more than one dinner at Ranger's apartment when she had sent up a decadent dessert made especially for me. But I got the sense that she enjoyed spoiling me - God knows Ranger's Spartan diet didn't give her much opportunity to display her confectionary skills.

I munched on my General Tao's. "You want me to wash the Turbo?" I offered, between bites, referring to my favorite of all Ranger's black, expensive cars – the Porsche 911.

While his face remained expressionless, Ranger's eyes lit up as if he were a little kid in a toy store. "Babe. That's a very tempting offer; what sort of attire would you select for such a task?" The faint hint of a mischievous smirk spread across his face.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Well, considering that it hasn't been above thirty degrees for the last two weeks, and I'm barely getting over this Ebola-virus – I would probably wear several layers of clothing, underneath a heavy winter coat, along with a hat, a scarf and a pair of mittens. Is that what you were picturing?"

"I was definitely picturing the thirty degree weather, but in that vision, I'll admit your health wasn't my primary concern." The mischievous smirk was now replaced by a full-blown, shameless smile, leaving no doubt as to what he had envisioned. My pulse quickened at what might happen in that scenario.

Clearing his throat, Ranger straightened up in his seat and started to explain what I now suspected was the real intention of his visit. "I was actually hoping I could tempt you to accept another distraction job for me – if you're feeling up to it next week." He handed me the egg-roll and raised an eyebrow at me as I pounced on my deep-fried prize.

I chomped in silence, answering him once I was done. "You need me for a distraction job, and your best offer was this greasy egg-roll?" I teased. I was really pushing my luck; Ranger rarely passed up the chance to make me feel uncomfortable with his innuendo - and the egg-roll had actually been pretty good.

Ranger leaned over to brush a kiss just under my ear and in a low, husky voice asked, "What other gifts can I tempt you with to sweeten the deal?" Oh boy.

I was going to end up heels over head in a matter of moments if this kept up. I ignored his last question, determined not to fall prey to my over-active libido just yet. "Which day did you need me?" I asked, my voice sounding shakier than I was comfortable with.

"Babe, I need you every day. But the job is set for Tuesday. Do you think you'll be up for it that soon?"

In my current state, I'd be up for anything, anytime so long as Ranger was involved. But I knew better than to say that thought out loud. I simply nodded, not trusting myself any longer to adequately compete in this verbal sparring match. Who was I kidding? I had no business participating in this event, let alone trying to compete in it.

"Good. This job's going to be a slight departure from our normal routine."

"Oh?" I was curious – and hoping I wouldn't regret already giving my consent. "What're the specifics?"

Ranger gave me a run down on the target and the gist of the operation. I was going to have to keep the target distracted in the gym while Ranger's crew made a drop-off in the guy's apartment in the same building.

I stared at him dubiously. Typically, my distraction jobs entailed dressing to entice, entertaining Ranger's targets in smoke-filled bars and trying not to go overboard on the cosmos.

"You expect me to occupy someone in the gym? You overestimate my distraction abilities."

"You'll be distracting him from his normal workout and ensuring that he stays put while we're making the drop. I was thinking you would keep him engaged in some pleasant conversation, but if you two decide to spot each other while you work in a few reps, I won't object."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Funny."

All this time, I had been suppressing the urge to cough, knowing that once it started I would be hacking for another twenty minutes. I didn't think that would add much appeal to the Quarantined-look I had going on, although even that hadn't deterred Ranger's outrageous flirting. I felt the familiar tickle start to creep further up my windpipe and I tried to delicately clear my throat – but my next breath caught and I lost control. I barked out a horrific string of coughs that shook my entire body. With my eyes starting to water and my muscles aching from the exertion, I jumped off the couch and stumbled to my kitchen. My hacking continued for several moments as I leaned over my kitchen sink, praying I would be spared the mortification of coughing something up in front of Ranger.

As I regained my composure, I felt a strong set of knuckles running up and down the length of my spine. The contact was soothing and exciting at the same time. I grabbed a plastic cup from my drain board and filled it with tap water, hoping the task of drinking would ease my coughing and slow my pulse.

I peered up at Ranger over the rim of my cup but I couldn't read the expression on his face. After a moment, he took the plastic cup from my hand and set it on the counter as he tugged me out of the kitchen. Panic hit me as I realized we were headed towards my bedroom.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I recalled another time when he had pulled me into my bedroom.

Ranger led me over to my bed and pulled back my bedspread. He turned to face me with his unreadable expression still in place and stepped forward, grazing a kiss across my forehead. Then, turning me around, he gently lowered me down onto my bed.

"You'll need to rest up if you're going to be ready for this job on Tuesday." He pulled the bedspread over me, tucking me in at my sides. I struggled to sort out my feelings as disappointment and relief washed over me simultaneously.

"Stay in bed – get some rest and I'll cover your skips."

I stared up sleepily at him. "You really don't have to do all of that for me. You've done so much already –"

He cut me off, "I want you to be at a hundred percent by Tuesday."

I closed my eyes when he bent down and placed another light kiss on my forehead. When I opened my eyes he was gone. I contemplated his visit for a few moments. It was this sort of encounter that had me in trouble - I was always left wanting more.

_TBC…_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the great feedback – hope you enjoy!_

_Not mine, they belong to JE. The unfamiliar ones are my OCs. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Spoilers through LMT. Hope you enjoy – this is my first._

CHAPTER TWO

I spent the rest of the weekend in bed. I told myself it was an effort to recover quickly, as I had been instructed, but I knew that it had more to do with staying where Ranger had left me. By Sunday evening my coughing had subsided and I was feeling worlds better, but I lingered in my bed where Ranger's touch remained fresh in my mind.

It was almost seven p.m. when I heard a knock at my door. It was nothing new for me to have unexpected visitors, but I knew which ones knocked and which didn't, so I decided to stay where I was and ignore it, hoping whoever it was would leave. Then I heard a key slip in the lock and the door creaked open.

"Cupcake – Are you here? It's me – I brought dinner." And just like that, my spell was broken.

I shook my head clear of Ranger fantasies as I strode out of my bedroom to greet Joe. He had brought subs from Pino's and we settled down in front of a basketball game to have dinner. Joe was concentrating on the game as we ate and it gave me the chance to take stock of what I was feeling.

I knew I was going to have to do something about my situation – I could not be involved with one man while I was having fantasies about another – what kind of future did that hold? And, while I wasn't holding out any hope for a future with Ranger – I was too realistic for that pipe-dream – I did recognize that what I was doing wasn't fair to Joe.

Tossing our trash into the garbage, Joe reached for me in the kitchen, pulling me close to him.

"Bob and I missed you – we haven't seen you around for a while." Bob was Joe's big orange dog of undetermined breed and him missing me was the code Joe used to tell me he missed me in his bed. What a true romantic. No 'How are you feeling' or even an 'Are you up to fooling around' – Just him and 'Bob's' needs. I suddenly didn't feel so bad about my daydreaming.

Moments later we were tangled up in my sheets, rolling around on my bed like a bunch of teenagers. Joe's hands were everywhere at once and I was slipping into my visualization of a certain Cuban American…

"God, Steph, you feel incredible. And I'm gonna make you –"

"Sshhh." I held a finger to his lips before his words ruined my fantasy. "Don't say anything – just let your actions speak for themselves." Okay, it was a low moment for me, I'll admit. And equally bad was the moment I maneuvered myself into my least favorite position – only so we could continue that course of action with my back to him.

I became lost in the sensations I was feeling, imagining strong, dark arms exploring my body as our pace became frenzied. I was caught up in the act as well as the fantasy, and it wasn't long before I went soaring into a million pieces, slowly coming back together after several moments. Eventually, I noticed that something was wrong. Joe hadn't followed me over the edge – instead, he was frozen in 'mid-thrust' and I wasn't sure why. I turned and gave him a questioning look over my shoulder.

"You ok? Did you pull a muscle?"

Joe pulled away from me, his face a picture of pain and rage. After a few moments like that, he finally spoke.

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Tell me you were kidding – you just thought it would be funny to see my reaction, right?"

"Joe – I don't know what you're talking about. Reaction to what?"

"Christ, Stephanie – You're trying to tell me you had no idea you were just screaming Ranger's name?"

My jaw fell open and I retreated to a corner of the bed in shocked silence. I hadn't realized I had been speaking out loud. After several moments, I finally returned Joe's gaze and was overcome with guilt at all the pain and disappointment that I saw reflected in his eyes.

"I'm sorry – I just…" I weakly tried to explain myself, but didn't know where I would even start. I moved towards him, trying to pull him back to me but he pushed himself up off of the bed, holding a hand out to stop me.

"Don't." He quickly pulled his clothes back on and headed out the door without another word or another glance back at me.

I was still sitting numbly on my bed when I heard my front door close. I could have dealt with the all-out, typical Stephanie-and-Joe-fight, complete with raised voices and inappropriate hand gestures – but his coldness was something different. I didn't hold any illusions about being able to repair this one – there had been an overwhelming finality in how he left.

_~oOo~_

I spent the rest of the night on my bedroom floor – I couldn't bear to stay either in my bed or on my couch where the lingering memories of my recent encounters with both Ranger and Joe battled for control. I slept fitfully and was up before the sun rose the next morning.

After showering and dressing, I sat at my kitchen table with a mug of coffee, trying to plan out my day. My hope was that I would have enough to keep me distracted so I wouldn't have to think about what had happened the night before. I was almost fully recovered from my virus, so it wouldn't be a problem for me to get back to work.

Work! I smacked myself in the head – Ranger was taking care of my skips, so I wouldn't even have work to keep me distracted. I was holding out hope that maybe he had only intended to cover me through the weekend and decided to give Connie a call. Glancing at the clock, I saw the office had probably just opened, so there was a good chance I could get her to save some files for me.

"She's alive!" Connie squealed at me over the phone. "We were just wondering when you would return to the land of the living."

"Yeah, I wasn't sure there for a while – but I managed to pull through." I tried to force some cheer in my voice. The virus hadn't killed me, but I still had a healthy dose of guilt and heartache to get over. "Ranger had mentioned taking some of my skips for me – but I wasn't sure for how long he meant. Do I have any open files waiting for me?"

"Nope – he stopped by first thing to collect all the new cases. Guess you're off the hook for today -"

"Girl, what have you done to Batman to get him to take over all your skips?" The phone had been snatched away from Connie and I found myself talking to Lula.

"Nothing – I didn't do anything -"

"Don't give me 'nothing' – you must have done something to get to lie in bed all day eating Bon-Bons while the Wizard runs around huntin' down your skips for you! So what was it? Did you finally tie him to your bed and have your way with him?"

I followed that train of thought for a second, before shaking my head clear. _This isn't helping!_ – I told myself.

"No! He's just helping me take it easy for a day or two so that I can recoup. That's it. Period. Finito. Got it?"

"Mm-hmm. Sure, that's it. And I'm a size 6. Maybe I'll just ask Lover Boy next time he's in here -"

"No way! You do not need to have that conversation with him." GOD – That was the last thing I needed!

I convinced Lula to drop her 'investigation' by agreeing to take her to lunch later that week. After getting off the phone, I decided to plan out my itinerary. So far, I had nothing to provide an adequate distraction – and I knew I had to get out of my apartment, before thoughts of Joe and Ranger drove me crazy.

"How should we spend the day, Rex?" He was busy stuffing his cheeks with Cheerio bits. Ok, usually Rex gives great advice – sometimes, though, he gets a little distracted. I've found that Cheerios have that effect on hamsters.

I decided to check my machine for any messages that I had missed while I was hibernating. I had one missed call - from my mom.

"Stephanie, this is your mother -" As if I couldn't figure that out…

"We missed you and Joseph at dinner on Saturday. Hope you didn't come down with anything too serious. Of course it probably is from all the running around you do – Honestly, if you had a normal job, you wouldn't have this – _BEEP!_" Saved by the Beep, I thought. I groaned thinking about having to explain to my mom that I was in a permanent off-stage with Joe.

I leaned over Rex's cage, looking down at him as he finished off his breakfast. "I know I really screwed things up this time. Sometimes not making a decision is the same as making a decision. The question is – what's the next step?"

Rex didn't get a chance to answer me - as the sudden noise of my phone ringing interrupted our morning session.

"Hello?"

"Hello – Ms. Plum? This is Debra from Les Sebring's office. Les wondered if you might have a few moments this morning to stop by and speak with him?" I was surprised, to say the least. If Vinnie is the Mediterranean or Baltic Avenue of Trenton Bond Enforcement, Les Sebring is Boardwalk or Park Place. What in the world did he want with me?

"I think I could set aside some time – is it regarding anything in particular?" As if he was calling to get the recipe to my famous peanut-butter-and-olive sandwiches …

"Uh, Yes, Ms. Plum. Les was hoping you could stop in to discuss a business opportunity he'd like to present to you. Is there any time in particular that you're free?" A business opportunity? I couldn't imagine what this was about. My interaction with Les Sebring had been pretty limited. Back during the whole Abruzzi mess, I had gone to Sebring for some guidance on child custody bonds. He had been helpful and our exchange had been friendly and informative. I was at a loss for where this was going.

"Sure, I could be over around ten-thirty this morning. Would that work?"

"Ten-thirty will be fine. I'll let him know you'll be here then." Hanging up the phone, I looked at my watch – just a little after nine.

Not knowing what this 'business opportunity' was about, I wanted to appear a little more professional than I had at my last meeting with Sebring. Just thinking about that made me cringe - Lula had accompanied me to his office and insisted on getting to see his famous legs. As it turned out, Sebring had been willing to humor us. And his legs were pretty spectacular.

I settled on a pale blue business suit and matching slingbacks. I worked some gel into my hair and tried to tame the frizz. It sort of worked. After a couple of coats of mascara, I was ready. Not bad, Plum - I told myself. I grabbed my purse and keys and headed out the door.

_TBC..._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks for the outstanding reviews & a super-huge thanks to Kashy, who puts up with the deluge of hyphens…_

_Not mine, they belong to JE. The unfamiliar ones are my OCs. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Spoilers through LMT. Hope you enjoy!_

CHAPTER THREE

I pulled into the lot next to Sebring's building with ten minutes to spare. I took this as a good omen as I jumped out of the truck and headed to the second floor where Sebring's office suite is located, directly above his ground-floor Bonds Office. His reception area was decorated in ocean-tone pastels, giving the room a soothing effect. I checked in with Sebring's receptionist, Debra, and camped out on one of the sofas. I had just started to feel all of last night's tension slip away when in walked Jeanne Ellen Burrows.

Jeanne Ellen was immaculately dressed in a well-tailored and sophisticated black pantsuit that elegantly showed off her amazing figure. Great! I thought, just when I was starting to feel like myself again, I'm stuck in this office with Jeanne Ellen in all her perfection. Fate is so not kind to me.

I shouldn't have been all that surprised to see Jeanne Ellen, considering she was frequently hired by Sebring's Bonds Office to bring in FTAs. She's an excellent Bounty Hunter – as I have been reminded on more than one occasion; her BEA techniques practically rival that of Ranger's. And that's not all she has in common with Ranger, I thought, ruefully. There was much speculation that he and Jeanne Ellen had been involved at some time. How involved ranges anywhere from colleagues to roommates – but no one really knows for sure. I don't think I want to know. I certainly hadn't seen any signs recently that they were involved, but Ranger's life isn't exactly an open book.

I couldn't help the resentment that welled up when I thought of Jeanne Ellen with Ranger and I wondered if I would have to compete with her for whatever business opportunity Sebring had in mind. I decided at that moment that I didn't care what this opportunity was; I wasn't going to give Jeanne Ellen the satisfaction of winning out over me. There wasn't much about my recent actions that I could be proud of – but getting one up on Jeanne Ellen would certainly help.

Jeanne Ellen walked over to where I was sitting and extended her hand. "Stephanie Plum, right?"

"Hello, Jeanne Ellen," I responded, coolly, shaking her hand. She gave me a slight smile and sat down on the couch opposite from me. I picked up a current affairs magazine from the coffee table and pretended to be interested in the latest analysis on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Jeanne Ellen pursed her perfect lips and looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. I decided I wasn't going out of my way to make conversation any easier for her.

After a few moments, I gave up on the conflict analysis – it didn't sound like it would be resolved anytime soon. We sat across from each other in uncomfortable silence, trying to avoid making eye contact. Another five minutes passed before Debra's office phone rang.

"Yes, sir – right away." Hanging up the phone, Debra turned towards us and asked that we follow her into the conference room. I had still been holding out a small hope that Jeanne Ellen wouldn't be involved in this meeting, but my hopes were crushed as Debra marshaled us both through the office suite.

Les Sebring, sitting at the far end of the conference room, was dressed in a charcoal suit and a rosebud pink necktie, his silver-white hair impeccably styled. Seated on his left was a man I didn't recognize, but immediately suspected was a Fed. He was about ten years older than me, with receding light brown hair and blue-gray, hooded eyes. He had a general look of fatigue about him, despite being flawlessly dressed in a black, expensive-looking suit.

As we entered the room, Sebring rose and walked over to greet us, the unknown man a couple of steps behind him.

"Stephanie, hello – It is good to see you again. Thank you so much for stopping by on such short notice." Sebring smiled at me warmly and then nodded a hello to Jeanne Ellen. "Let me introduce you to Roland Baier. Roland, Stephanie Plum."

Sebring took a step back as the man extended his hand to me. "It's very nice to meet you, Stephanie."

"Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Baier."

"Roland – please, or you can call me Rols. That's what I go by when I'm among friends."

"Rols it is." I smiled back at him. Rols seemed like a nice guy, even if he did have a corny nickname.

"Good to see you again, Jeanne Ellen."

"As always, _Rols_," Jeanne Ellen responded, putting extra emphasis on his name as she glanced my way. Apparently, they knew each other. Now my curiosity was really piqued about this meeting and I was grateful when Sebring suggested that we get down to business.

"Again, I'd like to thank you, Stephanie, for agreeing to come in on such short notice, and with so little information as to what we're going to present to you." It would appear that everyone except me knew what this meeting was all about, including Jeanne Ellen – and I didn't like that one bit.

Sebring continued. "As you know, Stephanie, we asked you here to discuss a business opportunity. Let me start by expressing my hope that you will keep this meeting in the strictest of confidence." He waited for my nod of agreement before continuing.

"We have a project that we're working on in cooperation with the US Intelligence Community. And to be frank, we'd like to enlist your help." I stared at Sebring as my thoughts spun wildly, trying to make sense of what I had just heard. I wasn't surprised to hear that Jeanne Ellen and Sebring had connections to the 'intelligence community', as he put it. Actually, that connection explained a lot. But, what would the intelligence community want with my help? Anti-Terrorist Hamster Trainer? Vehicle Demolition Expert?

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

Rols looked at me sympathetically from across the table as he took over for Sebring. "Stephanie, this is a rather delicate matter. We need your help on this project, but due to the classified nature of the situation, we're not really able to disclose a lot of information up front – not until after you've signed on. So, I'm going to give you some very general points that I want you to consider carefully before making your decision." I nodded urgently for him to continue.

"We would like to place you, undercover, in close proximity to an international target on an evidence-gathering mission." He watched me, gauging my reaction. I held his gaze as my heart started pounding – with fear or excitement, I wasn't sure, but I was intrigued and wanted him to continue. I indicated that he should go on.

"One of the operatives we've been working with has developed a long list of enemies and at the top of that list is our target – an individual who has recently made a lot of waves in the international waters, so to speak, and has attracted some attention from the intelligence community."

I laughed out loud at the notion of me participating in some top secret op, trying to take down some bad ass international thug. The idea was preposterous – I didn't have any experience with this sort of stuff; I couldn't even recover a skip without involving refuse or food products.

"Ah, I think you might have pegged the wrong person for this job – I don't believe I have the, uh… requisite skill set needed for undercover work – I certainly don't have the training. This all feels a little out of my depth."

Rols gave me a reassuring smile. "Stephanie, we can give you all the training you would need. We're not asking for you to take the target out; we're just asking you to let us place you in a strategic position so you can pull together some information, which, from what I've read, is a special talent of yours. We're looking for someone who can operate under the radar – to name just one of the reasons you've been selected. You are our first choice, because to the suspicious eye, you would be our last choice."

I wasn't sure how to take that. "What are the other reasons?"

"We've seen evidence of your extreme tenacity and resourcefulness. We have yet to find a single example in your experience as a BEA where you have given up on a case. Plus, with your BEA experience, you already have a strong background in gathering information from multiple angles. Not to mention you have a knack for thinking on your feet and getting out of tough situations."

Rols leaned forward, resting his folded hands on the table. He seemed to focus in on me, speaking as if Sebring and Jeanne Ellen were no longer in the room. "Stephanie, we could be here all afternoon going over your abilities and how they might apply to this project. You might convince yourself that because you don't already have all the conventional skills, you're not prepared for this sort of task. But from what I know of you, I'm inclined to believe you're up for this challenge. In fact, I'm willing to bet that this is just the test you've been waiting for."

His words stilled me and I started to take the proposal more seriously. It seemed ludicrous that I would even be asked to participate in this crazy scheme. But somehow, Rols had read me. I couldn't explain it, but something about this prospect excited me and I was more than a little intrigued by the idea of pulling it off.

"I'm not sure what to say..."

Rols glanced down at his watch. "Why don't you take a few minutes to think this over? We could meet back here in about a half hour to discuss your decision. How does that work for everyone?" Rols looked around the table. Sebring and Jeanne Ellen acknowledged that they were available then. I just nodded feebly.

"Great. Let me give you a couple more particulars before you start mulling this over. The entire project would last for approximately six months, with several weeks of training included at the beginning of that period. There would then be a few days of debriefing once the project is completed. If you agree to sign on, we'll go over all the logistics regarding locations, itineraries, etc. Also, you need to know your compensation – if you agree to sign on, we'll pay you a salary of one hundred thousand dollars." I was speechless. 100k! That would buy a lot of Tastykakes…

Sebring and Rols made their way out while I stayed behind to consider my decision. Jeanne Ellen was lingering beside me at the conference table and I started to wonder what her involvement was in all of this.

Grabbing a blank notepad from the center of the table, I started to scratch out some notes, hoping that putting my thoughts down on paper would help me come to a more lucid decision. I felt Jeanne Ellen's eyes on me and caught her studying me closely as I looked up from my notes.

"You seem to be taking this seriously."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Jeanne Ellen's lips curled into a slight smile, once again looking as if she knew something I didn't.

"I hear you have good instincts." I shrugged in response. "Let me give you some advice. Go with your instincts. This **is **out of your depth; you **don't** have the requisite skill set." I narrowed my eyes at her as she threw my own doubts back at me. "Back away now, before any serious damage is done."

Okay, here's the thing. I don't always have the greatest self-confidence. I know what I'm good at and what I'm not. And it's one thing for me to voice those concerns – but something entirely different for those words to be uttered by Jeanne Ellen.

She seemed so sure of her skills – to the point of overconfidence. But before I could call her on this, she leaned in close to me, as if to reveal an intimate secret. "Have no doubt that I have proven **my** skill set - both in the field and on the seventh floor of Haywood."

_~oOo~_

I sat alone at the conference table for several moments, replaying Jeanne Ellen's words in my mind while a poisonous mixture of anger and resentment rose from the pit of my stomach. All I could focus on at that moment was my hatred for her – I hated her for being so perfect, for always being in control, for always being one step ahead of me, but most of all I hated her for whatever her relationship was with Ranger.

Ranger once told me he had never brought a woman to his Haywood apartment before me – but I wondered who had been on his guestlist since then. I felt sick just thinking about the two of them together. Sure, I didn't want to think about him being with anyone, but I knew that wasn't realistic. Knowing he was with Jeanne Ellen on any consistent basis was like having my insides ripped out and set on fire.

I looked up at the clock on the wall and saw I had twenty minutes left to make my decision. I was torn between the resentment that propelled me forward, driving me to prove myself and the trepidation that was holding me back.

I considered for a moment that a six month hiatus from Trenton might be a good remedy for my problems with Joe and Ranger. Maybe this time luck would be with me and everything would have blown over by the time I got back…

Eventually, Rols, Jeanne Ellen and Sebring all trooped back into the conference room, resuming their seats. They were each looking at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

It's now or never, I thought. "I would like to accept the offer –" I took a deep breathe, forcing myself to continue. "– with a few conditions, that is." A look of surprise registered across Sebring's face and Jeanne Ellen eyed me suspiciously. Only Rols seemed unfazed. Encouraged by his reaction, I handed him a list of conditions I had worked up during the break. I watched his reaction as he read it but his expression never changed.

"Impressive, Stephanie. This list shows a lot of foresight – which is very encouraging, considering the nature of this project. I see no reason why we can't accommodate all of these requests." He folded up my paper and slipped it into his inside breast pocket. "I'll get a new contract drawn up to include these details. Now, let's get down to work."

We met for the next three hours, breaking just once for the lunch we had ordered. By the time we wrapped up, I was in detail-overload. I had learned that the target of the mission was Dimitri Aris, six-foot-two, weighing two-oh-eight, dark brown hair. His profile showed he was thirty-nine, the oldest son of a large Greek family from Syracuse, NY and the current head of Jordan Bloom, Inc. – an international investment firm.

Aris was suspected of orchestrating half a dozen international incidents and I would have several months to establish my cover and pull together the information that was needed as evidence. The job would take place in Belize, where I would be managing security reports of high-profile international guests and their entourages – pretty similar work to what I had done for Rangeman. Lo' and behold, Aris was going to be in Belize at the same time. His trip involved a secret business deal and an off-the-grid vacation – information that had inadvertently been leaked to an intelligence operative in the last week.

Belize! I could hardly believe it - I had never been out of the country before. And, thank God for small miracles, I wasn't going to have to learn a foreign language! My cover, both for the 'Burg and the mission, was that I had been selected for an internship with the Government of Belize's Office of Tourism. I had supposedly applied for this prestigious internship several months ago, but had never mentioned it because I thought I didn't stand a chance. I was taking the place of a graduate student from Arizona State University who had come down with meningitis. Poor guy - I hoped that wasn't the government's doing…

I was excited about the job and there was so much to arrange before I left Trenton. My mind was whirling but I forced myself to concentrate on what Rols was telling me.

"We've secured access to Camp Peary for your training. The two of you are scheduled to leave this coming Sunday." Wow – that really didn't give me much time at all. Wait – the two of us? I snapped my head up, looking questioningly at Rols.

"Jeanne Ellen is being assigned as your partner during this project and she'll be helping out with your training."


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks for the great feedback, and many, many thanks to The Great Kashy for all her help! Hope you enjoy…_

_Not mine, they belong to JE. The unfamiliar ones are my OCs. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Spoilers through LMT. Hope you enjoy – this is my first._

CHAPTER FOUR

Savoring the solitude of my truck, I sat in silence for several moments after leaving the meeting. I was dumbstruck by the stupidity of my impulsiveness – I had too readily agreed to this ridiculous assignment without ever finding out what Jeanne Ellen's involvement was going to be. Now I was stuck with her, to be practically joined at the hip for the next six months. We would be training together, living together, working together. And the whole time, I was going to be reminded of her involvement with Ranger. Uggh!

I was so frustrated with myself. The whole reason behind accepting this job was to get away from these people. My resentment of Jeanne Ellen just reminded me of Ranger and my lust for him, which made me think guiltily about what I had done to Joe. Thinking about Joe reminded me of how much I've wanted to be with Ranger, which only fueled my rage as I thought about him with Jeanne Ellen! It was a vicious cycle that now had no end in sight.

I pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the Tasty Pastry, hoping a dozen Boston Cremes would help calm me down. As I made my way through town, the streets and traffic signs were nothing but a blur; all I could see was Jeanne Ellen and Ranger, together. It was a miracle no lives were lost as I drove at top speed to claim my standard anesthetic.

By the time I pulled up to the Tasty Pastry, my fury had grown to such monstrous proportions that I was going to need two dozen Boston Cremes to get through the rest of the day. I wanted something to distract me from my thoughts so I headed over to the Bonds Office. It took me less than five minutes to get over to Hamilton Avenue and park the truck in front of the office, but in that time I had polished off three donuts and was starting on my fourth. And I still wasn't in a better mood.

"Well, look what the cat drug in." Lula jumped up to nose through the boxes of donuts I had dumped on Connie's desk.

Connie wrinkled her nose at me. "They're all the same kind!" Lula was already digging in.

"Deal with it," I growled.

"Uh-oh. Looks like someone's having a bad day. What's wrong, white girl, you been waking up on the wrong side of the Bat?"

"Don't start with me – I am not in the mood, and I do NOT want to talk about Batman."

"Hunh. This sounds serious. What're you all dressed up for anyway?"

"Meeting at Sebring's office." I managed between bites of donut.

"Sebring? Did you get to look at them fabulous legs again? If I worked in Sebring's office I'd want to get a look at those fine-looking legs every day. We'd have daily leg sessions – maybe he'd even give me tips on getting my legs looking as good as his…" Lula went on for five minutes about how great Sebring's legs were, but I didn't catch most of what she said. Eventually, Connie cut into her monologue.

"You aren't thinking of quitting and going to work for Sebring are you?"

"Not anytime soon – but if that story will get Vinnie to straighten up, go with it." Fortunately, I was saved from having to give any further explanation of my meeting when my cell phone chirped. I felt my stomach pitch as I looked at the read-out. Ranger. There was no way I could handle talking to him right now.

"You gonna answer that?" Lula asked.

No. No way. No _Fucking_ way! I felt my jaw clench as I closed my phone up and stuffed it back in my bag.

"Who're you trying to avoid?" Connie was needling and from the Cheshire cat grin on her face, she knew it was pressing my buttons. It felt like I had steam rising from the top of my head.

"I bet you it was Batman, I can tell by her reaction."

"What part of I don't want to talk about it don't you two understand?"

"See what I mean? That's definitely a Batman reaction."

I had to get out of there or I was going to have a conniption. I suspected that if I stayed put too long I was going to run into Ranger, and with the state I was in, that was going to be a disaster of epic proportions. But I also didn't trust myself to be alone right now. I needed to be distracted.

"Shoes," I barked.

Lula and Connie looked at each other; Connie gave a palm's up gesture. "Come again?" Lula asked.

"Shoes. Shopping. Macy's. NOW!"

"That's all you had to say." Lula grabbed her purse and we headed out the door.

~oOo~

Twenty minutes later, Lula was scrounging through a selection of boots on the bottom shelf of a discount rack. Her ass, which was barely clad in neon-orange spandex, was pointed straight up in the air, ruining the family-friendly vibe that the Macy's Shoe Department was going for. I was still wearing my skirt suit from earlier and was on my eleventh pair of FMPs, only four of which had been returned to the sales clerk. I was trying to decide which of the remaining seven to put back when Lula pulled out a pair of glittery silver ankle boots with black faux fur trim.

"Do you think these are too much? I can't decide if they're over the top." She modeled them for me, switching her hips wildly as she strutted across the floor of the shoe department.

"They suit you. Go for it."

"Yeah, they are me, aren't they?"

After I had dismissed another two pairs of shoes, we gathered up our selections and checked out. I tried not to look when I got the total – my Visa was going to be hurting this month. The shopping had calmed me down some and I was more in control of my emotions, but I hadn't bought anything that had really blown me away. I turned to Lula to see if she could read what I was thinking.

"Come on, girl. I figured the shoes weren't going to be enough to settle you down. What we need is a trip to Victoria's Secret." I smiled gratefully at her. It was comforting to shop with someone who knew me so well.

After an hour of sifting through lingerie, I finally settled on a pile of lacy bras and hip-huggers. I was about to check out when Lula grabbed me by the arm and yanked me towards the bridal collection.

"Girl, you've got to see what they've got in here." She pulled me towards a display of white lace nighties and held one out for me. "I bet this will get you out of that funk. This here is the shit." It was a babydoll with a halter neckline. And it was completely see-through.

"I don't know – it feels kind of strange to buy something from the bridal section…"

"I'm not suggesting you get married in it – I'm just saying maybe you buy this, and maybe you just happen to be trying it on at home next time either Supercop or Batman stops by, and then maybe you'll wake up the next morning wearing nothing but a smile."

Leaving Victoria's Secret with lingerie and babydoll in hand, we headed to the food court. We were standing in line at the pretzel place when my cell phone went off again. I groaned when I saw from the read out that it was Ranger. Again.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled at my still-ringing phone. The customers ahead of us in line turned around to stare at me. "Sorry!" I closed my unanswered phone and tucked it into my bag as we took our pretzels and drinks to one of the ubiquitous food court tables.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb, here and guess that was Ranger callin' you again?"

"I really don't want to talk about it -"

"Yeah, so I hear." She looked at me for a moment before continuing. "Since you don't want to discuss it, you can just sit there and listen, 'cause Lula's got somethin' to say." Oh brother.

"You know how I can tell its Batman calling you? 'Cause Supercop don't even come close to getting that kind of response from you anymore. Only one hot man in Trenton makes you react like that – and that's the Wizard. And I'm not even gonna go into the reactions you get out of him – on account of there's a buncha kids sittin' over there, and I don't want to get thrown outta here for using indecent language."

I rolled my eyes at her. "We're just friends."

"Hunh. And I'm the Grand Marshall of the fuckin' Rose Bowl Parade. You want my advice? You just need to try out your new hoochie-nightie on Batman and have some hot, sweaty sex."

"Yah, I'll get right on that." I gave her another eye roll. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"Well, since you don't feel like sharing, I don't have much to go on. Besides, there's not much that can't be worked out with a little hot, sweaty sex."

~oOo~

It was after five when I pulled into the lot outside my apartment. I was exhausted as I climbed out of the truck, my hands full of all the purchases made during the trip to the mall. Turning around, I shrieked when I sensed someone standing just a few feet away from me – and almost shrieked again when I realized it was Ranger.

"Tough day at the office, Babe?" He was eyeing the multiple shopping bags I was carrying.

"Something like that." I slipped between the parked cars and made my way into my building with him wordlessly following me.

We rode the elevator up to the second floor in silence. I hadn't expected to see him this soon and had certainly hoped that my conflicted emotions would be better resolved before having to face him.

"You've been avoiding my calls."

"I was just a little busy, that's all." Ranger cut his eyes to my shopping bags. I ignored the implication as I unlocked the door to my apartment and let us both in.

"I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow's job. I'm planning to pick you up here at seven pm." The job. I had completely forgotten about the distraction job. That had been the whole reason why I even had the day off. This probably looked bad – Ranger out taking down all of my skips, and me spending all day at the mall. I smacked myself on the head.

"I don't know what I was thinking." That's not entirely true. I knew exactly what had been on my mind all day. "I've been a little distracted, today. Anyway – As you can tell, I'm feeling a lot better, so I can return to work tomorrow. No need for you to hang on to all my files."

Ranger had closed the distance between us and had me backed up against the arm of my sofa. He pressed his palm into the small of my back, under my suit jacket, and pulled me closer to him, his mouth just inches from mine. "Maybe we should play it safe and keep you in bed a while longer." My eyes glazed over and I shivered at his closeness. The smile that crept across his face as he took in my reaction was too satisfied for my taste and I felt the rage from earlier quickly resurface.

Pushing past him, I snatched up my shopping bags and stomped off to my bedroom, hoping to avoid any further conversation. I decided to change out of my rumpled suit and turned to close my bedroom door but Ranger was blocking me. I gave him a pointed look. "I'd like to change."

"Don't stop on my account." He gave me his wolf grin. Jeanne Ellen's words suddenly flashed through my mind. I decided then I'd make him forget about Jeanne Ellen the way he had me forgetting about Joe Morelli.

"Suit yourself," I bit out.

Here's the thing - I know it is never a good idea to try to bait Ranger, but I couldn't help myself. I was armed and dangerous, and I knew it. Hanging my suit jacket in the closet, I set about unpacking my purchases. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms and ankles crossed, his now expressionless face giving nothing away.

I slowly took out each new set of lingerie; clipping off the tags and making a point of letting the fabric linger briefly in my hands before folding it and placing it in the dresser. I couldn't help but let a smile creep across my face in anticipation of what I was pulling out of the bag next. I held up the lacy babydoll, cut away the tags and then innocently shook it out to reveal the full length or, rather, the lack of length. It took every ounce of control I could muster to avoid looking at Ranger's reaction once I had laid it gently across the foot of my bed.

After discarding my slingbacks and thigh-highs, I yanked off my shell and threw it in my laundry basket. My heart began pounding uncontrollably as I brazenly sauntered over to the doorway, wearing just my bra and skirt. Standing as close to Ranger as possible without touching, I turned around and looked at him over my shoulder. "Will you unzip me?" I asked in a breathy voice.

He stared at me for a couple of beats before he reached down and grabbed my waist tightly with one hand as he slowly pulled at my tiny zipper with the other. His hand lingered at my waist as the skirt inched its way over my hips and down my legs, falling in a heap at my feet. I gingerly stepped out of it and, unhooking my bra, walked over to my bed. Wearing nothing but lacy bikini briefs, I slid the sheer babydoll over my head and fastened the halter behind my neck. When I turned around to face him, his eyes were dark and intense but his expression remained impassive. It was several moments before he spoke.

"I'm going to give you the chance to retract what looks to me like an open invitation."

"Whatever happened to Ranger-the-Opportunist?" I don't know where that came from – I no longer had any control over what I was saying.

His expression grew serious. "I'm only going to make that offer once."

His expression conveyed all of the restraint that I hadn't been feeling lately; but his tone warned me that I was seriously pushing his limits. I started to worry that maybe I didn't know what I was doing, after all.

Ranger stood frozen in my doorway, making a point of keeping his eyes trained on my face and that triggered in me a watershed moment of frustration. "Did you ever make that offer to Jeanne Ellen?"

In two strides, he crossed my bedroom floor to where I stood. He threw an arm around my waist and ferociously crushed me to him. I pressed my hands to his chest and felt his heart pounding beneath the tight black t-shirt that he wore. Good to know he wasn't entirely unaffected… I expected him to land a mind-blowing kiss on me, but he didn't. He just stared at me, struggling with some unreadable emotion.

After a few moments, it was Ranger, again, who broke the silence.

"Jeanne Ellen has nothing to do with us."

Did he just say 'us'? I was at a loss for words. Never mind that he didn't answer the question – does he think there's an 'us'? I nodded slightly in acknowledgement of his response, exceedingly grateful that he hadn't said_ I_ had nothing to do with _him and Jeanne Ellen_…

My hormones got the better of me and I instinctively brought my lips to his neck, breathing in the intoxicating scent of Bulgari-Ranger. In an instant, he maneuvered us onto my bed so that I was pinned underneath him, his hands and mouth covering more territory than seemed humanly possible. Then, bringing his mouth to mine, he kissed me so intently that I think I may have momentarily lost consciousness. His tongue teased my lips, which I eagerly parted, giving him complete possession of my mouth. Then he was pressing kisses to my collarbone and I was winding my legs around his waist when I heard his cell phone chirp. We held each other's gaze as he opened his phone.

Ranger's expression darkened as he finished his conversation and hung-up. We hadn't moved while he was talking and he was still lying with me underneath him. I tried to hide my disappointment at what was coming next.

"Something's come up with the item for tomorrow night. I have to go."

"Is it serious?" I secretly entertained the idea that this could mean the job would have to be moved to somewhere other than the gym.

"Nothing we can't handle. And yes, you're still on for the gym." Damn ESP! I stuck my tongue out at him and he quickly captured it between his lips, sucking it gently into his mouth. He turned it into an ardent kiss that left me hating whoever had just called. When we finally pulled apart, I had to force myself not to think about what might have been...

As Ranger stepped into my bathroom to straighten up, I wandered into the kitchen to get a drink of water and to try to get my hormones in check. I met him in the foyer as he was about to leave. He stared at me a moment and then backed me up against the door. His hands skimmed up from my thighs to rest on my hips, the lacy fabric of the babydoll falling over his fingers. He leaned into me as he crushed his mouth to mine. The intensity expressed both in his kiss and in his tightly pressed body told me he wasn't leaving of his own volition. He broke the kiss and I begrudgingly moved away from the door to let him go. We were still catching our breath when he tucked an errant curl behind my ear and stared at me intently.

"We have unfinished business." And then he left.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks for the outstanding reviews – Glad to know you're enjoying it so far! A special Thank-You to the exceedingly talented Kashy! _

_Not mine, they belong to JE; Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. _

CHAPTER FIVE

The next morning, I lay awake in bed for several hours before my alarm was set to go off. I had slept only briefly and awoke in a general state of frustration at the unfulfilled promises of the night before. Deciding I needed something to divert my attention from my pathetic state, I gave a quick call in to Connie to check on my files once the Bonds office opened up.

That plan came up bust, though - apparently Ranger had been by first thing that morning to pick up all the open cases. What the heck? – He knew I was feeling better. I wondered what sort of mood he was in and if he was as disappointed over our interruption as I was. All Connie would tell me was that he wanted all the cases and had already been in since with four body receipts.

Four body receipts - Good God! It was barely after nine-thirty. I smiled to myself picturing Batman on a justice spree to clear his mind of thoughts from last night.

Focusing on some form of work sounded like a great distraction from the thoughts I was having, so after another intense meeting with my shower massager, I decided to do some serious spring cleaning. As I set to work scrubbing my bathroom and organizing my cosmetics, my mind drifted to the loose ends I'd have to tie up if I was going to be gone for six months.

I figured I could leave my truck at my parents' house while I was gone but I didn't know what I should do about my apartment. Considering the wild history my place has had over the last year or so, it might not be a good idea to leave it unsupervised for six months.

Then I wondered how Vinnie would react to me being away for that long. And what about Rex? – Who could I trust to take care of him for all that time?

After finishing my bathroom, I moved on to the living room and kitchen. I was putting off cleaning my bedroom, since it was still giving off a Ranger sex vibe. Hard to tell if I was trying to avoid thinking about last night or if I was just afraid of cleaning away the vibe.

I realized there were some other loose ends that needed tying up – I was going to have to clue my parents in on my plan, and like it or not, I didn't think it would be fair to Morelli to leave things as they were for that long. Planning out my next course of action, I threw on some clothes and headed over to my parents' house for lunch.

Ten minutes later, I pulled up in the Burg, and right away, realized I was going to have my work cut out for me. Mrs. Marzetti's banana-yellow Cadillac was parked beside me in the driveway. No good can come of this, I said to myself. I had gone to school with Mrs. Marzetti's daughter, Samantha, and I had heard through the Burg grapevine recently that Samantha had just given birth to twin girls.

With each new birth, it is every Burg mother's or Burg grandmother's rite of passage to share photos with all the other Burg women. Groan – this was going to be painful! I would be stuck listening to Mrs. Marzetti rave about the newest additions to their family, while suffering the pointed glares from my mom for not living up to all of the Burg expectations.

I sat in the truck debating whether or not I could still leave before anyone noticed me. Too late! My mom was standing at the door with Mrs. Marzetti, waving for me to come in; a large photo album balanced open between them was mocking me, daring me to come inside.

"Well, hello there, Stephanie. It's been a long time since I last saw you," Mrs. Marzetti greeted me as I walked through the front door.

"Hi, Mrs. Marzetti." I flashed my sincerest smile at them and locked my best Burg manners in place. "Congratulations on the arrival of your new granddaughters. I know you must be very proud of Samantha -"

"Yes, Mrs. Marzetti was just showing us the latest pictures of the twins. Why don't you come have some lunch with us while we look through some more pictures?" My mom had my elbow in a death grip which translated into 'If I have to endure the shame of raising a daughter who, now in her thirties, is unmarried, has limited prospects and quite possibly will never have children, the least you can do is endure this humiliation with me.'

It was a cardinal sin to go against the elbow death grip, so I resigned myself to my fate and followed them into the dining room. We flipped through the photo album while I ate a turkey sandwich, Mrs. Marzetti interjecting unnecessary and rather obvious commentary throughout the process.

"_And this is the girls on the way home from the hospital." _

"_Oh, and this is the family picture in front of the house when they got home." _

"_This is their first picture in the house…" _

And on and on it went. There were scores of pictures – hundreds, at least, each capturing the subtlest change in position from the last. If we had stacked them all on top of each other, we could have made a flip-book. When we got to the pictures of the babies' first diaper change, I considered the consequences of leaving for Belize without telling my family.

Fortunately, I was saved by Mrs. Marzetti's afternoon schedule of continued baby boasting. After thanking my mother for having her over, she turned to me and gave me a pointed look. "Well, it was nice seeing you, dear. Have you and Joseph talked about settling down anytime soon?"

And there it was. The question I had been dreading had just been laid at my doorstep. My mother was looking at me expectantly. For a moment, I sat frozen in my seat as all the different possibilities for answering that question ran through my head. Before I blurted out something embarrassing involving Joe, me, sex, Ranger and Belize, I decided avoidance was my best option. I abruptly excused myself and ran to the bathroom.

I wasted a good twenty-five minutes in there, catching up on the latest diet and fashion crazes in my mom's Good Housekeeping magazines. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, I found that my wait had paid off; Mrs. Marzetti was long gone. However, judging from her expression when I met her in the living room, I did not wait long enough for the situation to blow over with my mom.

"Stephanie, really – that was incredibly rude of you. Why did you run out of the room like that?"

"Mom – I had gas, I'm sure Mrs. Marzetti would have been much more offended if I had stuck around." She made a face. Never prone to talk openly about bodily functions, I knew I could stump her with this topic. I dropped down onto the sofa next to her. My dad was engrossed in a basketball game and was either purposefully ignoring us or didn't even know we were there.

"Well, you never answered the question. When **are** you and Joseph going to finally settle down? Have you talked about it at all recently?" I wanted to laugh out loud about the prospect of Joe marrying me after our recent incident, but I was still feeling too guilty over my actions to find much humor in the situation.

"Joe and I aren't really together anymore. We broke up and I don't think the prospects of us getting back together are looking too good right now. And –" I held a hand up, stopping her before she could interrupt. "I stopped by to let you know that I've accepted an internship out of town and I'm going to be leaving at the end of this week. I'll be gone for six months."

"What in the world have you gotten into now, Stephanie? Where are you going? What will you be doing?"

"I'm going to Belize." I went on to give my cover story about being selected and working for the Office of Tourism running security checks on international guests. My mom just looked horrified and my dad continued to focus on the game.

"This is absurd – What about Joseph?" She continued for another hour, trying to convince me that I should stay, mostly because she didn't really know where Belize was, and she felt it was too long for me to be away from Joe – that there would be no way of us reconciling if I were gone for six months. I ignored her – it's not like I could go back and tell Rols I wasn't going to go because my mom wanted me to stay home and hook back up with my last great hope…

Eventually, I tried redirecting the conversation and asked if they would consider letting Grandma Mazur watch over my apartment while I was gone. My dad suddenly became very aware that we were in the room and enthusiastically agreed to start moving her belongings over later in the week. We consulted with Grandma Mazur, who was of course ecstatic about getting her own 'bachelorette-pad', so we made plans for her to move in. I kissed my parents goodbye and promised to come over for dinner on Friday before leaving town.

Blowing out a huge sigh once I found myself back in the safety of my truck, I resolved to push forward to my next destination – the Trenton Police Department.

~oOo~

I pulled up in front of the cop shop just after four-thirty and forced myself to head in to Joe's office. He was sitting at his desk with his hands stuffed in his hair, glaring down at the report in front of him. He looked like hell, and I hoped it had more to do with his caseload than with what had happened the other night. I tapped lightly on his open door and waited for him to look up before entering.

"Hey, Joe." I tried for that sincere smile again, but his expression didn't change any as he acknowledged me with a curt nod. Guess it wasn't the caseload that was the problem. "I hoped you might have a few minutes to talk –"

"Save it, Steph – I don't think we have anything left to say to each other. In fact, I think you said it all the other night."

"Joe, please – I just want to tell you how sorry I am." He rolled his eyes at me and turned back to his report. I stood there silently for a moment before trying again.

"I know that doesn't count for much right now, but if there's any way you could find it in yourself to forgive me – I don't want to leave things between us this way." I searched his expression, hoping to find some sign that we would be able to make a step towards friendship.

Joe exhaled slowly and pushed back from his desk. He was quiet for a long time, not meeting my gaze. Eventually, he came around the front of his desk and leaned back with his arms folded across his chest.

"Is that really what you want?" I nodded. He was studying me intently, and his expression was hard to read. "Christ, Stephanie – I don't know what to say. I mean, I guess I shouldn't be surprised – it's bound to happen when people work closely together, I just never expected that you would let things go so far."

"I know – I never meant for this to happen –" He stopped me.

"I know it may surprise you that I would be willing to look past you cheating on me with Ranger, or that I would be willing to forget about the other night." Wait – what? He thinks I've been sleeping with Ranger?

Before I could correct him, he pushed on. "To be honest, I would be a hypocrite if I didn't take you back, after everything that happened between me and Terry."

Excuse me? Terry Gilman? Whoa - Back the fuck up! I stared at him open-mouthed, but he kept right on talking.

"I know it's a shock – It ended a few months ago, but just like you didn't mean to hurt me, I never meant to hurt you when I cheated with Terry. So maybe this can be a new starting point for us both – you know, clean slate, and all? And I think that – if we set a few things straight up front – we can find a way to make things right again." He looked at me with an expression of piety – as if he was being the grown-up in this situation. There were so many things wrong with that little speech, I didn't know where to begin. I started to feel the fury rolling off of me in waves. I knew it was a bad idea, but I wanted to know what he deemed to be the fair conditions of my imagined surrender.

"What things did you have in mind?" I asked quietly.

"Well, I think that it would be only reasonable for you to stop working at the Bonds Office, I mean, you obviously shouldn't be working with Ranger anymore, but it would be best if you cut out all the other means of contact with him. That would be a start –"

"Hold it right there, buddy. Before you get too carried away with yourself, let me set a few things straight. One, I didn't cheat on you with Ranger. I admit I have feelings for him, but what happened was not the result of my sleeping around on you. I have never cheated on you – which is apparently more than can be said for you."

Joe looked surprised but had the decency to appear embarrassed. I cut him off before he could say anything. "Two, I didn't show up to ask you to take me back. What happened Sunday was a wake-up call for me about how I truly feel. And if your indiscretion with Terry is any evidence of your true feelings, I think we both owe it to ourselves to be honest about the reality of our relationship."

"Steph, I don't have feelings for Terry –"

"That's not the point – it's indicative of how you truly feel for me. The bottom line is that it's not going to work between us. You seem to think that if I just wasn't around Ranger, I wouldn't feel the way I do. I've tried that, Joe – and it only ended up hurting us both."

I paused, drawing in a deep breath before I continued. "And lastly, I need you to know that I'm leaving town for a while. I've accepted an internship and will be gone for six months. I didn't want to leave things the way they were between us for that long."

"What are you talking about? Where are you going? You can't just leave – not when things are so fucked up between us –"

"I'm going to Belize. This Sunday, in fact –."

"**What?** This is ridiculous – how can you just drop this on me at the last minute? You can't just take off for South America like its some goddamn trip to the mall!"

"It's Central America – Anyway, the point is I'm leaving. I want you to know that I'm sorry for what happened. Maybe the time apart will help us be better friends to each other when I get back. Take care of yourself." I spun on my heel and strode out of his office, pulling the door shut firmly behind me as I left.

I got two steps away from his office before Joe pulled the door open and stepped out. "Stephanie, please – **wait**!"

I kept on my path down the hall as I looked over my shoulder and called back to him. "Goodbye, Joe. And this time, it's for good."

As I turned back around I ran straight into a yummy muscular chest, clad in a tight black t-shirt. Looking up into Ranger's mirrored sunglasses, I watched my reflection as a drunken smile involuntarily flashed across my face. He gave me a wolf-grin as he snaked a hand around my waist to accept a body receipt from the desk cop behind us. The contact made me flush and I quickly put myself in check as I pushed off of him, heading for the parking lot.

_TBC…_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for reading – Hope you enjoy! Thanks to the wonderful Kashy for all her super beta skills! Not mine, they belong to JE. Some OCs. Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Spoilers through LMT. _

CHAPTER SIX

Rex was running on his wheel when I got back to my apartment. I was still fuming over my conversation with Morelli. To think of all the guilt trips I had over my attraction to Ranger, all to honor my relationship with Joe – only to find out that he was boinking Terry Gilman! And then, he had fully expected me to come groveling for him to take me back. And those ridiculous terms! Not one word about him cutting off contact with good ol' Terry – No, that would be too much to ask.

I had worked myself into a pretty good rage as I stood over my kitchen sink, tearing into a box of Tastykakes. I was so distracted I apparently didn't notice when the locks on my door tumbled and my front door swung open. I shrieked when I heard a voice behind me.

"Babe. That stuff'll kill you." Ranger was leaning casually against my kitchen counter.

"Don't you ever knock? I could have been standing here buck-naked for all you knew!"

"That's enough reason for me not to knock." I rolled my eyes at him as he gave me another wolf-grin.

"What brings you by so early? I thought I wasn't supposed to be ready until seven?"

He pulled me over so that I was standing between his ankles, his fingers laced together at the small of my back. I instinctively propped my hands on his shoulders, resting my elbows on his forearms.

"You seemed a little distracted at the station just now – I wanted to make sure you were ok. Might cause some problems if you weren't a hundred percent for tonight." He wore a mischievous grin that made me somewhat suspicious of his meaning.

"One-hundred percent for the job, right?"

"That too." He studied me for a long moment and I thought – okay, actually I hoped – that he might lay one of his electrifying kisses on me. I suppressed a sigh of disappointment when he spoke, instead.

"What happened with you and Morelli?"

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off of Ranger's chest. I leaned over Rex's cage, calming myself as I watched his wheel spin.

"We're over." Ranger raised an eyebrow at me. "In the most complete and final way that two people who were once together can now be over. This is the absolute end – as in the sun has set, the fat lady has sung, the bar is closed and you don't have to go home but you can't stay here – it is **over**." That got me another quizzical look.

"It's over, for good, because he cheated on me." I laughed bitterly. "And I wouldn't even know that now, except that he thought that I had cheated on him, and he was explaining why he was willing to take me back." I bit down on my lower lip, fighting to keep my emotions under control.

"Why did he think you had cheated on him?" Oh Lord – How to answer that!

"It's a long story."

Ranger looked down at his watch and then gave me an almost smile. "We've got time."

I heard my front door suddenly slam shut and a second later Joe appeared in my kitchen doorway.

"Time for what, exactly?" he asked, throwing me an accusing look. I mentally groaned at the situation in front of me.

"Joe, what are you doing here? I told you before, we are done. Goodbye for good – so unless you're here to give back the key to my apartment, I suggest you leave."

"I'll ask you again – Time for what, exactly?" This time he glared accusingly at Ranger, who just stared back with his usual blank face in place.

"Time for me to get ready for work, that's all. I have a job to do tonight – and I've got to shower and change before leaving. So if you will excuse me, I'd like to get started on that."

"I'll leave when he leaves." Joe jerked his thumb in Ranger's direction.

Ranger's expression remained impassive as he spoke. "I'll leave when Stephanie asks me to leave and as she's already stated, we have business to attend to this evening." He gave me a long, poignant look as he turned and headed towards the living room. I wondered if by business he meant the distraction job or … Easy, girl.

"Why did you stop by? I thought I made it clear to you at the station where things stood with us."

"Cupcake, be serious. You can hardly take care of yourself now, what about when you're all alone? And what about your future? You can't live like this forever –"

This was my biggest fear regarding the job I was headed off to do but I had been trying not to dwell on it. And to hear it voiced out loud - by someone who should be supporting me, no less – well, it about had me in tears. But I knew this job was important and it was too late for me to back down – that time had passed. The last thing that I needed to hear was someone telling me that I couldn't get the job done.

I bit back my tears and took a deep breath. "Joe – It is exactly your lack of confidence and support for me in this moment that makes me realize there is no future with you that I will ever want to be a part of. Now, I am sorry for what happened the other night and I hope that at some point we will be able to work towards strengthening our friendship. But that will be the extent of our relationship from this day forward." I raised my voice slightly to ensure that Ranger heard what I was saying. "I'm going to get ready, now. If you can't find your way out, I'm sure Ranger will be glad to help you."

Joe stood there silently with a furious scowl on his face. I pushed past him and stomped off to my bedroom, closing and locking the door behind me.

~oOo~

It was ten minutes to seven when I finished putting on the final touches of my Workout Girl distraction look. The effect was pretty successful, if I say so myself. I had pulled black classic yoga pants over a pair of black spandex shorts. Then I layered a black fleece hoodie over a matching sports bra. I tugged on a pair of running shoes and pulled my loose curls back into a high pony-tail. Since I was being forced to actually workout, I went light on the make-up, going for a more natural look than my usual distraction face.

I grabbed my MP3 player and a towel before emerging from my bedroom, hoping that Ranger was the only one left in my apartment. I also hoped that by taking close to two hours to prepare, I would avoid having to answer any more questions, namely the one about why Joe thought I had cheated.

I blew out a sigh of relief when I saw that Ranger was alone in the living room, talking quietly on his cell phone. As he wrapped up his conversation he gave me a look that said he knew I had been avoiding him.

I smiled innocently at him as he closed his phone. "A girl's got to look her best to be ready for a good workout."

"If you're looking for a good workout –" I held up a hand to stop him before he could finish. I was having a hard enough time keeping myself in check around him. If we went down that path right now, I'd never let us get past the front door.

"Did Italian Stallion leave of his own accord or did you have to bounce him?" I half hoped he had tossed Joe out on his ass. I had no pity for him after learning about his relationship with Terry – I was even more disgusted that he had followed me home and refused to accept my decision, let alone his lack of confidence and support for me.

"We had a few words before he left, but we didn't get physical." The corners of Ranger's mouth tipped up slightly and I smiled at him. Crossing the living room to where he stood, I circled my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest.

"Thank you for being here."

"Always, Babe." He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss into my curls. "We should get going – We've got a full schedule ahead of us. First, we tackle the distraction, then we continue our discussion from earlier," My mouth fell open at his words – I thought I had successfully avoided that conversation. "And then back to last night's pursuits…" Oh, boy!

In an act of self-preservation, I avoided meeting his gaze as we headed out the door.

_~oOo~_

It took us close to twenty minutes to reach the six-story building and parking garage out near Princeton Colonial Park. Once we were parked, Ranger handed me a file to look over. I was looking for Raimi Stredler – late thirties with jet black hair and a stocky build at five foot nine, weighing close to two-twenty. He was running an interstate operation fencing stolen goods, and had recently expanded into human trafficking. Yikes –I'm normally a very curious person, but the shiver I got reading Stredler's file told me I didn't want to know what RangeMan's interest in him was, nor did I want to know about the 'item' being dropped off in his apartment.

Ranger began to give me the specifics. "Stredler typically starts his routine at eight o'clock, so we want you to already be working out in the gym before he shows up." I wrinkled my nose at the fact that I'd actually have to exercise during this job. He read my mind again. "It won't be that bad. Fifteen or twenty minutes won't kill you." We don't know that for sure, I thought.

Ranger continued. "There's a video surveillance system already set up in the gym. We have remote access to that and will be able to monitor your interaction with Stredler. Although, I'm still putting a wire on you." I wasn't surprised when that comment was accompanied by another wolf-grin.

"Once the drop is made, we'll buzz your phone. That will be your signal to clear out, so be sure to keep your phone on you."

I took a few more minutes to study the file. I committed his picture to memory before I skimmed over some basic information about Stredler's upbringing, family and interests. Not too much to go one – but I noted we seemed to have a similar taste in music. I wondered how RangeMan had come by that tidbit. It might prove helpful, but I also wondered how I would bring it up. 'Hey, you look like a guy that likes Metallica…'

I glanced at my watch and noted it was almost time for me to go in. Ranger pulled out a tiny microphone along with a roll of black electrical tape. He looked down at my jacket zipper and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Are you going to be wearing the jacket the whole time?"

"No – I thought I would go with a layered approach." I unzipped my jacket, revealing my black sports bra. Ranger's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Look, there's no rule that says that you _always_ have to be the one to wire me. I can certainly do it myself," I gave him a wicked grin before I continued, "or I could get one of the guys to help me out." I glanced over at the black SUV parked two rows over. I knew at least two of Ranger's men were camped out inside. "Is Lester here?"

I had unbuckled my seatbelt and had my hand on the door as if I was actually headed over to the SUV when Ranger pulled me away from the door and into his lap, landing a fervent kiss on my lips. All of my pent-up frustration came tumbling to the surface and I was caught up in the sensation of my lips being parted by his tongue as the kiss became more demanding.

When we pulled apart, we were both breathing unsteadily. Ranger held my gaze as he tore off a few pieces of electrical tape and fixed them to the back of the wire. When he handed it over after activating the switch, I didn't even bother to question the tiny pang of disappointment I felt. I pulled myself out of his lap and turned in my seat so that I was facing the tinted window as I maneuvered the wire into place.

Unable to resist my impulses, though, I turned back to face him and leaned forward, giving him a sly smile. "Is it noticeable?"

"You're playing with fire, Babe."

I checked the clock, saw it was time for me to go and decided that I needed to get focused. As I reached down to collect my things, Ranger pulled out a chilled plastic water bottle for me.

"Thought you might get thirsty during your workout."

"Thanks – I didn't think to bring any, myself." I grimaced at the reality of having to spend the next half hour working out and speculated on whether or not this was all just some diabolical plan of Ranger's to get me to exercise.

I chucked my purse into the back seat and opened the car door, giving a finger wave to him as I stepped out. "See you in a few," I called out before closing the door.

~oOo~

The gym in Stredler's apartment building was located on the basement floor. I took the elevator down from the lobby and used the access code I'd been given to get through the combination lock. The gym was long but narrow and packed with exercise equipment and floor mats. Each corner of the room had a television mounted from the ceiling and all four where synched to ESPN. There were three guys already working out on weights – but a quick survey of the room confirmed that none of the three were Stredler.

I decided to start out with some stretches, so I made my way over to the workout mats with my headphones on and music blaring. After a few minutes of stretching I pulled off my jacket and headed over to a row of treadmills. I didn't want to lose face with Ranger and his guys watching me – I think they each jog a hundred miles a day – so I decided to compromise and alternate between speed-walking and light jogging, rotating every few minutes.

The walking-jogging lasted all of about ten minutes. I set myself up on an elliptical that was parked in the far corner of the room with a perfect view of the door. After another ten minutes, I was growing impatient and made a big show of glancing at my watch before giving the surveillance camera my 'Burg glare. In case this really was just a ruse to get me into the gym – I wanted Ranger to know I was on to him.

Another five minutes passed before Raimi Stredler walked through the door and set a gym bag on one of the nearby benches. It was almost eight-thirty – fifteen minutes, my ass! He stopped at the floor mats to run through a few stretches before starting a quick rotation on the treadmill, summit trainer and then free weights.

So far, he hadn't even looked in my direction. I was going to have to go for a more direct approach if I was going to get the job done. I stepped off of the elliptical and meandered along an indirect path to where I had left my jacket and water bottle. Turning my back to Stredler, I bent over at the waist and stuck my ass straight up in the air, just a few feet in front of him. I took my time untying my shoes and shimmying out of my yoga pants, leaving me in just my sports bra and spandex shorts.

I played with my MP3 player while I wistfully crossed one leg in front of the other, lingering in place in front of Stredler for another beat. I made sure to clip my cell phone to the waistband of my shorts as I paused momentarily and shyly glanced in his direction. He looked up at that moment and caught my gaze. I pretended to give him an appreciative once-over followed by a slight smile, before sashaying back to my machine.

I feigned interest in the sportscast that was playing on one of the TVs, while I subtly kept an eye on Stredler's every move. It was getting late and I was afraid that he was going to walk out before I could do anything about it. I started to panic as I realized the vulnerability of my position in the room – the door was across the room from me, and if Stredler suddenly left, there was no way that I could get to the door without obviously chasing after him. I was about to move in closer when he parked himself on the stationary bike across from me.

I raised my eyes to see him studying me with an interested expression. I suppressed a shiver and reached out for my water bottle, holding his gaze while I drank. When I had the bottle recapped, I ran my tongue lightly over my lips and threw him a suggestive smile. I redirected my attention back to my stats and smiled to myself as if I was amused by the interaction.

I knew I was going to have to get him engaged in some 'pleasant conversation', as Ranger had put it, if I was going to be of any help here. My mind raced to come up with some excuse to introduce myself, or for anything to say to him at all. I nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and at that moment, the cord to my headphones wrapped around one of the swinging handlebars of the elliptical, jerking the phones out of my ears and flinging my entire MP3 player across the floor. I stood there, frozen in place on the elliptical, mortified as my player landed directly in front of Stredler's bike.

He stepped off of the bike to retrieve the player for me and I made my way over to him with a look of embarrassed resignation. So much for looking smooth and alluring; and I was sure the guys covering the surveillance feed were loving this little episode.

"I believe this is yours?" Stredler was holding up the player for me, smiling. I gave him another shy smile.

"Sorry about that – sometimes they have a mind of their own."

"What music are you listening to? I never seem to remember to bring anything with me when I work out, and then I'm stuck watching another cycle of Sports Center." Here was my chance! I couldn't believe my luck…

"Oh, just some Metallica, Soundgarden, Godsmack, the usual."

"Wow – beautiful and great taste in music! I'm Raimi." He flashed me a disarming smile.

He stuck out his hand and I took it. "Stephanie."

"Do you mind if I look through your playlists, Stephanie?" I nodded for him to go ahead as he scrolled through my music, satisfied that it had turned out to be so easy to keep him occupied.

"You've got a great selection here, 'Enter Sandman, 'Voodoo', 'Unforgiven – I AND II'. That's great stuff." He paused, smiling and looking intently at something on my player. "What's the 'Babe' playlist?" I snapped my head to attention.

"What's that?" I hoped I had misheard him.

"This playlist that's titled 'Babe', what's that about?" Oh god, just shoot me now!

"Oh, does it say that? I don't remember putting that in there." I tried to play it off but I knew there was no recovering from this one.

I had made that playlist over a month ago. It was a crazy mix of songs – all of which remind me of how I feel around Ranger. I had tried to make a Cupcake playlist, but every song I considered ultimately got put on Ranger's list instead; I had finally given up and deleted it a few weeks back, but had stupidly kept the Babe-playlist.

And now everyone working surveillance on this job, including Ranger, knew about it. I wished the floor would just swallow me up.

_TBC…_


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks so much for following this story and for leaving such wonderful reviews! A special thank-you to the amazingly wonderful Kashy for her superb editing skills! Not mine, they belong to JE. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. _

_**Previously…**_

_I had made the Babe playlist over a month ago. It was a crazy mix of songs – all of which remind me of how I feel around Ranger. I had tried to make a Cupcake playlist, but every song I considered ultimately got put on Ranger's list instead; I had finally given up and deleted it a few weeks back, but had stupidly kept the Babe-playlist. And now everyone working surveillance on this job, including Ranger, knew about it. I wished the floor would just swallow me up._

CHAPTER SEVEN

Stredler scrolled through my playlist. "It's a strange compilation. Hmmm - 'Hot for Teacher' – now that's an interesting choice." I tried not to let my face show my reaction. I figured it was only a matter of seconds anyway before I died of embarrassment.

Stredler leaned in closely to me and dropped his voice suggestively, "Is that what you like to listen to when you're feeling like a _babe_?"

I felt my cheeks flush. "Uh, something like that."

He took a step towards me so that we were standing toe to toe. "I bet I could make you feel like that."

Before I could censor myself, the words flew out of my mouth, in a husky voice I would never have recognized as my own.

"It takes a pretty special person to make me feel like a Babe."

Obviously, I'd been thinking about Ranger – but from Stredler's expression, he thought I was encouraging him.

"Well, Stephanie, I'd like to think I'm up to the challenge."

I wasn't sure where this was going – but I started to worry whether I would be able to gracefully disentangle myself from the conversation whenever the signal came in to clear out. I thought about trying a different tactic.

"I haven't seen you in the gym before, did you move here recently?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing – I moved here about a month ago. You?"

"I'm actually just a guest. One of my friends is subleasing her apartment while she's out of town, but I've still been using the gym while she's gone." I gave him a conspiratorial smile. "You're not going to tell on me, are you?"

He gave me what was supposed to be a suggestive smile, but instead just creeped me out. "That all depends on what you're offering to keep me quiet." Oh brother – I wasn't helping things at all.

While we were talking, two of the other guys in the gym had cut out, leaving just one other person there with us. I got a little nervous thinking about being stuck alone in the gym with Stredler and I gently extracted my MP3 player from his hands.

"Let me think about that one," I replied, heading over to my pile of clothes. I slipped on my yoga pants and replaced my shoes and jacket. Just then, I felt my cell phone vibrate against my hip. Thank God!

I flipped open the phone to see the text message. It read, 'Ur chariot aw8s'. Corny, I thought. Sounds like something Lester would have typed.

I closed up my phone and gave a short finger wave to Stredler. "I've got to head out – a friend of mine is picking me up and should be here in a minute or two." I turned and headed to the door, but he was close on my heels.

"Let me wait with you – it's not a good idea for you to be standing out there by yourself." Panic hit me as I tried to figure out how to get out of this.

"Thanks – but that's really not necessary – I was just planning to wait in the lobby and it should only be a few minutes."

"A few more minutes spent with a beautiful woman would be the perfect end to my evening." He flashed me another smile, trying to charm me, but his persistence was unnerving. I had no choice but to play along and I weakly smiled back at him. We wandered out to the elevators and waited for the next car to stop on our floor.

Once inside the elevator, he pushed the button for the fifth floor.

_Oh, he better NOT even think I'm headed up to his apartment with him! _

I looked at him questioningly as I reached over to push the button that corresponded with the Lobby entrance. I'm not sure if my fingers actually ever connected with the control panel, as Stedler's eyes fixed on me in a chilling stare and I suddenly felt myself lurching forward. A flash of panic took hold of me as I spiraled into unconsciousness…

~oOo~

A feeling of dread came over me as I started to wake up. I was lying face down on a bed and my head was buzzing. The room was pitch black and all I could make out was a thin strip of light coming from a nearby doorway. I had expected my arms to be bound or my mouth to be gagged, but for some reason I had merely been dumped in the middle of the bed. I could hear a heated exchange coming from the next room. Wondering if Ranger and the Merry Men had come to rescue me, I strained my ears to make out the conversation.

"I'm telling you – I have no idea what they're doing here." It was Stredler's voice – and he sounded panicked. Good, I thought. That prick deserves to be scared after stunning me.

Crunch! The sound of a fist making contact with bone carried through the walls from the other room.

"We're not going to play games with you all night, Stredler. You wanna explain this little scene to us?" I didn't recognize the other voice. Sounded slimy – definitely not one of Ranger's guys. I felt my panic increase – wondering how I was going to get out of this predicament.

Stredler was soundly getting his ass kicked in the next room – that suited me just fine, but what would his 'guest' decide to do with me once he was done? I decided I wasn't going to stick around to find out. Since I wasn't restrained and I wasn't about to be rescued I figured I should use this chance to make a quick get away.

I slowly lifted myself off the bed and crept towards the side of the room, trying not to make a sound. My head was swimming as I felt along the wall until my hands touched fabric. Pulling back what felt like a heavy set of drapes, I found myself looking out into a neighboring alley. Jackpot.

I quietly pushed up on the window and slid out onto the fire-escape below me, careful to ease the window back into place. I kept my eyes on the window as I slowly backed away, wary of Stredler or the other man suddenly appearing to drag me back inside. I heard a noise behind me and my pulse quickened at the thought that they had somehow found me. I hesitated for a second, afraid to turn around. Suddenly a hand came over my mouth and pulled me down to the next landing. A split second later, I was spun around and crushed against a familiar chest as strong arms enveloped me in a warm, Bulgari-scented embrace.

Relief washed over my body as I recognized who it was. Ranger had his gun drawn beside him, aimed at the landing above us while keeping one arm locked protectively around me for several moments. Pulling away, he silently led me down several more flights of stairs, until we landed in the alley below. We rushed over to where his car was parked; I barely had my door closed before Ranger was moving the Cayenne through the first four gears and we were speeding back to Trenton.

We didn't speak at all on the way back, which wasn't that unusual; I couldn't help but notice though, that on this trip, the silence carried a different feeling.

When we arrived at his building, Ranger pulled me out of the car and hurried us up to his apartment. We had yet to break the silence that had engulfed us since the rescue, and even as we stood in his living room staring numbly at each other for several long moments, it felt difficult to speak.

Eventually, Ranger crossed over to me, gently smoothing my hair and then rubbing my shoulders and arms. It was as if he was checking to make sure I was really there. "I thought I had lost you."

"I did too –" I managed to get that much out, breathlessly, and then I lost it. I was trying to stop myself from sobbing hysterically as he pulled me tightly to him again. I felt like such an idiot. I had embarrassed myself at practically every turn on this job and had almost gotten myself killed. And now, I was balling uncontrollably.

After a few moments, I regained some of my composure and gave him an embarrassed smile. "I guess I still haven't mastered that whole adrenaline-crash process."

"Babe." He smiled back at me. "You did good – Proud of you."

"You're kidding right? I can't even count the number of mistakes I made on this job – I'm not even really sure what all happened after I got stunned in the elevator. Seems like the entire operation got royally screwed up because of me."

Ranger didn't say anything, and that was all the confirmation I needed that the job had failed. I sat down on one of the armchairs and hung my head in my hands. I couldn't bear to see another set of brown eyes looking at me with disappointment today.

I tried not to think about how much I had embarrassed myself this evening. I should have been more focused on the job, instead of letting my aggravation over Jeanne Ellen or my Ranger fantasies get the better of me these last few days. I just hoped I hadn't screwed everything up completely.

A few minutes later, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and a string of Merry Men trooped into the living room. Tank was the first one to find me.

"Bomber, you gave us quite a scare." I was surrounded by huge arms that lifted me a good two feet off the ground. When Tank finally set me down, Bobby ruffled my hair and threw his arm around my shoulders.

"Glad you made it back safe and sound, Bomber," he glanced surreptitiously at Ranger, "for all our sakes…"

Lester was standing just behind Bobby, grinning widely and patiently waiting his turn. When I was no longer indisposed, he lifted me up by my waist and spun me around a few times until I felt dizzy. "Hey, Beautiful! God - I can't believe how many lives you must have – you're like some kind of super-cat." I smiled at him as he set me back down on my feet and planted a sound kiss on my cheek. The affection the guys showed me went a long way towards easing my anxiety about fouling up the job.

Ranger was suddenly at my side, glaring at Lester before turning to Tank. "Report."

"Item was found, as we expected. The owner took appropriate action. Apparently, Stredler got Bomber up to his apartment a few minutes before the owner arrived, so it appears that her presence went undiscovered. Stredler has been dealt with. I have audio if you'd like to hear it." Ranger nodded and Tank played back a recording that had been pulled from a bug evidently planted during the drop-off.

The scene had not been pretty. After a prolonged confrontation with the unknown voice I had heard back in the apartment, Stredler had been handed off to some 'associates' and from the sounds of their instructions, he was being turned into fish food at that very moment. I didn't feel the least bit sorry for him – he had been too predatory throughout the whole encounter for that to have been a one-time occurrence. I felt sick just thinking about what must have gone down in his apartment on similar nights.

Tank shut off the recording and got ready to leave. I couldn't help myself. "Wait – I don't understand what happened. What exactly went on tonight?" Ranger exhaled softly – his version of a sigh.

"The details aren't important. The bottom line is Stredler was a bad guy; we dropped something off at his apartment while you kept him busy. The right people found the item."

He gave me an appraising look as he continued. "Despite being stunned, kidnapped, almost assaulted and god-knows-what-else, you managed to escape undetected, leaving the job perfectly intact. Stredler is being dealt with, no one in our crew has been implicated, the job was a success, and that's all in large part thanks to you." His expression darkened considerably. "After what Stredler tried to pull, I'm not inclined to waste another moment thinking about him."

I stared with my mouth hanging open. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't comprehend how this had ended up being a success; it felt like one disaster right after the other.

Ranger was standing near the door giving some instructions to Tank after Bobby headed back to the Control Room. I dropped down onto the comfy sofa – I was exhausted, but I was also relieved that ultimately our job had been a success. I closed my eyes, gently rubbing my temples when I felt the sofa dip next to me.

"Hey Beautiful –" I didn't have to look up to know it was Lester. I eventually opened my eyes and shot him a look. He was wearing a mischievous smile. Uh-oh, I thought. No good can come of this.

He threw an arm across my shoulders and spoke up in a loud voice, "Now, Bomber, **of course** I will help you put together a Beautiful-playlist. And then you can think of me whenever you want to feel Beautiful –" Ranger looked up sharply from his conference with Tank and I felt my face burn red with embarrassment.

"Santos!" Ranger barked from across the room. "Your five hours of monitor-duty starts now!"

Lester threw me a brazen smile. "It was well worth it." As he rose to leave, I punched him in the arm, but it didn't even seem to register with him as anything that was supposed to hurt.

I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a beer - I figured I had earned it, especially after that last stunt Lester pulled.

When everyone had left, Ranger walked over to where I stood leaning against his breakfast bar. He pulled the beer from my hands and took a lengthy swig, draining half the bottle in one gulp. I wasn't sure if he took that much because he needed it or if he was just trying to keep me from getting drunk. I thought about asking which it was when his arms suddenly came down around my sides, his hands locking onto the counter behind me. Nudging me with his knees, he pushed his way between my feet and leaned into me.

We were pressed together from our ankles to shoulders as his lips came down on mine in a commanding kiss. I forgot everything – my name, where I was, why I was here – well, my original reasons for being here, anyway. All I could think of as Ranger leaned into me, intensifying the kiss, was 'hot' and 'hard' – and those sensations led to a whole slew of inappropriate intentions on my part. Just as I thought my senses had fully left me, he lifted his head back a fraction, letting my bottom lip pull slowly out from between his lips. I peered up at him through half-closed eyes as the intensity of the contact lingered with me for several more moments.

I was hoping to get a repeat performance of the indelible kiss when I felt, more than heard, his voice, his lips brushing against my mouth as he spoke.

"Why did he think you had cheated?"

I struggled through my haze to understand what he was asking. Who thought I had cheated? Oh, yeah. Morelli. Shit – I didn't want to think about him right now – I wanted to get back to 'hot' and 'hard' … and maybe we could add 'long' and 'slow' to that list, too. I leaned forward, attempting to reconnect our lips, but Ranger tipped his head further back out of my reach.

As I contemplated my answer and the effect it would have, I felt him stirring against me. The words 'long' and 'hard' flashed through my mind at that moment and a flush of heat skittered through me. Seeking fulfillment, I moved to push against him, only to feel him back off.

I groaned as pangs of frustration shot through me. "You play dirty."

"Always."

"I'm not sure why you're interested in this –"

"Babe – did Morelli have someone in mind when he accused you of cheating?" Uh, Yeah! I nodded hesitantly, unsure of where this was going.

"Wouldn't it be a good idea for that guy to know as much as possible about why he's got a cop pissed off at him?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What makes you so sure this involves you?"

The corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly. "I'd be more than happy to pass the intel on to the lucky guy…"

"How generous of you."

Ranger dipped his head slightly and caught my lips again, this time in a gentle kiss that stole my breath away. "Talk to me, Babe."

I tucked my head down and stared at his chest – No way could I have this conversation while looking him in the eyes. After several attempts at an explanation I had only succeeded in showing off my best goldfish impression.

"I'll make this a little easier. I've got to check on a few things – so I'm going to head to the fifth floor. You stay here and figure out what you want to say. We'll talk when I get back." He looked at me for another moment before leaning forward to brush a kiss just under my ear. "And don't forget we still have another item on the agenda that needs our attention." I felt my cheeks flush with that reminder.

After Ranger set off for the fifth floor, I pondered how I could possibly tell him what had happened the last time Joe was in my bed. Ughh. Could this day get any more embarrassing? Ok, think, Stephanie! What is the least painful way to make this confession? I paced back and forth, across the kitchen floor, considering a number of possibilities. If only I could avoid having this conversation altogether.

That's when it hit me – this might be a little easier if I didn't have to have the conversation in person. On the phone? No – that might be just as bad. Text message? Easier – but kind of weird… Suddenly inspired, I stepped into the small office that Ranger kept in his apartment and looked through his desk for some stationary. Finding a crisp sheet – with RangeMan logo, no less – and a suitable pen, I sat down to compose my letter…

* * *

**_It's been a long time since it was his face that I saw in my bed –  
and, naturally, it was only a matter of time before he heard your name on my lips. _**

**_It appears that you succeeded in your quest to ruin me for all other men. _**

**_Your Eliza_**

_

* * *

_I quickly scanned over the note – I knew that Ranger was right – he deserved to know what happened, since it would undoubtedly cause friction between him and Morelli. And while that wasn't a radical development, I realized this time around I wasn't going to be here to run interference. A lot could happen in the six months that I would be gone, so it was probably best for Ranger to have the details up front.

I sighed, resigned to my humiliation. Better to send this now before I lost my nerve.

I placed my little dispatch in a sealed envelope and called down to the control room, arranging for Hal to pick up the letter and deliver it to Ranger.

With that matter taken care of, I treated myself to the luxury of Batman's shower, allowing the enticing scent of Bulgari to consume me physically and emotionally. Once I had washed away the sweat and general _ick_ of my latest adventure, I quickly dried off, tamed my curls and snagged a fresh change of clothes from the closet.

A moment later, I stepped out of the bedroom and headed to wait in the living room. I figured Ranger would wrap up his work before returning for our discussion, so I would probably have a while to ponder the consequences of my confession. As I headed into the living room, it occurred to me that he hadn't said anything about that stupid playlist. Maybe luck was on my side this time and he had forgotten the whole thing. _Yeah, right!_

I had a moment of panic as I tried to recollect where I had left my MP3 player. I spotted my bag lying on the couch – maybe I dropped it in there on the way back tonight. I giggled to myself as I pictured Batman snooping through my purse – just so he could hear my goofy playlist! He wouldn't do that… would he?

The need to check my purse suddenly felt very urgent.

A moment after I reached it, though, I heard the door to the apartment open and then quickly slam shut. Batman had arrived… _and in record time!_

_TBC…_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks for your amazing & encouraging reviews! An extra-huge thanks to the hard-working Kashy, for all of her outstanding edits & suggestions…  
Not mine, they belong to JE. The unfamiliar ones are my OCs. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Spoilers through LMT. Hope you enjoy…_

CHAPTER EIGHT

Ranger came through the doorway to the living room at a clipped pace and didn't break stride as he stalked towards me. The intense look he focused on me sent a flush of heat downward. There was no mistaking his reaction to the note – if the tightness of his cargos was any evidence. When he grabbed my bag out of my hand and tossed it to the floor, my panties were ruined. Without missing a beat he scooped me up by my ass so that I straddled his waist. He kissed me roughly, his hardness pressing into me as he continued on to the bedroom.

I had a flash of panic as I considered whether this was really what I had wanted to happen. Then I almost laughed out loud. Fuckin' A, this was really what I wanted! Ok, I still had reservations about the emotional turmoil this scenario would most likely cause, but then I remembered what that glorious night had been like and I considered that this one time was probably worth it. The same way Chunky Monkey probably isn't all that good for me – but I eat it anyway, because it is incredibly luscious and so damn satisfying.

My fingers were fisted in Ranger's hair as his tongue pushed hungrily into my mouth, his hands gripping my ass to better grind himself against me. He hadn't paused or hesitated once since storming through the door to the apartment and the urgency I felt in every way he was touching me indicated he wasn't going to stop until both of us were stripped, sweaty and sated.

When we reached the foot of his bed, Ranger let himself fall forward onto the mattress, pinning me underneath him. My legs tightened around his waist and I moaned into his mouth as he ground himself further into me. Never breaking our kiss, I began pulling his t-shirt up over his shoulders, desperate to have contact with the warm, beautiful skin that covered his irresistible chest. He skillfully toed off our shoes and socks, tugged off both of our pants as well as my now soaked-panties – all while continuing the now frenetic kiss that threatened to drive me dangerously close to the edge.

We broke free from each other's lips just long enough to gasp for air while we yanked off our remaining clothes. Grabbing me possessively, he pushed his incredible length against my folds, teasing my opening with unfulfilled promises. He locked eyes with me as he ran his thumb over one of my pebbled nipples and rolled his tongue lightly across the other. I let out a sharp gasp at the sensation, digging my nails into his shoulders and then shifting my hips against him, determined to center his tip where I needed it most.

And that's when I heard the sound I have come to loathe above all others – his damned cell phone. He hesitated for just a second as the sound registered with him. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Where's your gun?!?" I screamed. "I'm going to shoot that fucking phone –"

Ranger calmly rested his palm on my abdomen, effortlessly holding me in place as he fished his cell phone from the discarded cargos with his free hand. Opening the phone, he growled into the mouthpiece.

"I'm offline." He disconnected without waiting for a response and settled back between my thighs. He slowly skimmed a hand around the swell of my breast, and let it rest on my hip as he poised himself to enter me. His touch seemed reverent and I stopped breathing altogether in anticipation of feeling him inside of me. The tension between us during that wait was practically unbearable.

Just as I felt his hips begin to shift towards me, the silence in the room was again broken – this time by the ringing of his landline phone. _Fuck me running!_ I screamed inwardly – _God does not want to see me get laid!_

Ranger swore softly before taking a few deep breaths as he pushed himself off of me and then yanked the receiver from its base next to the bed.

"Talk." I was too far away to hear the conversation on the other end, but my hopes for a long night of Ranger-fulfillment were dashed as the look on his face darkened considerably.

"Christ. The timing is fucking unbelievable." Ranger's tone was measured; he spoke as if he was simply acknowledging that the earth was round or that the sky was blue. I could tell, though, by the clenched muscle in his jaw that he was working hard to control his frustration – this clearly wasn't a welcomed interruption. "Give me fifteen."

He returned the receiver to its base with a slight clunk – for Ranger that was equivalent to yanking the phone from the jack and hurling it against the wall.

Our eyes met and I saw my own frustration mirrored in the tight set of his lips and the disappointed scowl that had taken residence across his normally expressionless face. I pushed myself up onto my knees and scooted over to where he stood beside the bed, wrapping my arms around his neck as he grabbed me by my hips.

"Fifteen minutes? Are five of those still for me?" I was pleading with him – God, I was so desperate for this, and I didn't think I would need all that much time.

He shook his head slowly.

"I might be able to finish in three – maybe two minutes –" He shook his head again and my last shred of hope faded like dry grass in the August sun.

He gently took my face in his hands, his expression softening somewhat.

"Babe – we're going to need a lot longer than a few minutes to finish this job."

He kissed me slowly, letting his lips linger on mine a few moments longer than expected. "I've got to head out. Be assured, when I'm done, I won't waste any time getting back to you to finish what we started."

I opened my mouth to ask how soon that might be. But before I could speak, he took advantage of the opening and gave me a demanding kiss, plunging his tongue between my lips and once again taking full possession of my mouth. Our breathing was ragged when we pulled apart. He murmured against my lips, "It might save us both a lot of energy if you would wait for me here."

~oOo~

The next morning I was up bright and early. Well - okay, it was early, but my mood was hardly bright. I had spent the night at Ranger's apartment, yet my distinct lack of soreness that morning was a strong indication that Ranger hadn't had the chance to make good on his promise. The bed beside me was empty and there were no signs of life coming from the rest of the apartment.

Stumbling into the kitchen, I found a fresh pot of coffee and a note sitting beside a clean mug. I smiled as I read the message Ranger had left me.

* * *

_Eliza - Got back too late last night & will be out all morning.  
Not nearly enough time. Breakfast is on the table.

* * *

_

Grabbing my coffee and a bagel, I settled down at the breakfast bar and took stock of my situation. I was a raging ball of hormones – all of which were currently directed at Ranger, but to no avail, since we were constantly being interrupted. I was through with Morelli, for good. I was leaving in four days for my mission in Belize, not to return for at least six months. That was going to be hell on my hormones, I thought, even if I did find a way to satiate them before leaving. Plus, I needed to let Vinnie know that I would be gone for a while.

I considered for a moment if I could dish out my cover story to Ranger. If there was anyone who would know it was total bullshit, it was him. I had never lied to him before and wasn't about to start now. I would just have to employ a little of Batman's own evasiveness – who knows, maybe it would do him good to get a taste of his own medicine.

After cleaning the kitchen, I headed to the shower, noting it would be infinitely more satisfying with Ranger in it, or at least a shower massager. Afterwards, I threw on some of my clothes leftover from a previous visit and headed downstairs. Arriving in the garage, I met Tank and only then realized I didn't have a car with me at the building.

"Need a ride?"

"That depends," I answered coyly "Who's offering?" Tank rolled his eyes at me and beeped open one of the black Broncos.

When we arrived at my apartment building a few minutes later, I was surprised to see my dad waiting in the lot. After giving Tank a finger wave as he pulled away, I ambled over to my dad's car. Confirming that no one had died and that I wasn't needed for any damage control at my parents' house, my dad explained that Grandma Mazur wanted to drop off a few things at my apartment. From the gleam in his eyes as he imparted this information to me, I wondered who had really done the prompting to get Grandma moving in already.

I nearly fell over when I entered my apartment and saw the entire contents of my closet strewn about my living room in heaping piles. A mountain of FMPs stood almost three feet high on my dining room table, threatening to spill onto the floor with the slightest breeze. The sounds of Burt Bacharach blared at full volume down the hall, directing me back to my bedroom where I found Grandma Mazur twirling arm-in-arm with a lime-green dress that was clearly meant for someone sixty years younger.

"_What's new, Pussycat – Whoa-hoo-whoa-whoa-hoo… What's new, Pussycat – Whoa-hoo-whoa-whoa-hoo…"_

I tried to avert my eyes from the rainbow coalition of jackets, tops, running suits and sneakers peeking out from the open suitcase on my bed, but the task was difficult. I reached over to turn down the volume of my stereo, hoping to get Grandma Mazur's attention.

"Grandma – What on earth are you doing? Why are all my clothes in the living room?"

"Well, hello there! I thought I'd get a jump on moving some of my clothes into my new bachelorette pad! I figured if I'm going to work on getting my groove back, I'm going to need my entire fashion collection at my disposal."

I grimaced at the image of Grandma Mazur turning my apartment into some senior's love shack. Well – okay, maybe for once, someone in my apartment would be getting laid. Kudos to her if it worked – I was beginning to wonder if my bedroom wasn't hexed…

I frowned as I considered the mess of clothes that was quickly taking over my apartment. "What am I going to do with all my clothes – I can't just leave them in the living room…"

She turned to face me with a sly smile plastered across her face. "What sort of job are you going down to South America to do, that you're not bringing any clothes with you? Which reminds me, are you going to be emptying out your dresser? I could use the extra space. You can leave some of those lacy things, though; I figure they might come in handy when I get a late night visit from your sexy Bounty Hunter friend."

I groaned at the image flashing through my mind, which underscored for me that the notion of not telling Batman I was leaving for six months was not going to be an option …

"I'm going to Central America, Grandma, not South America. And if you end up getting late night visits from Ranger while I'm gone, you and I will need to have a talk."

She game me a knowing look. "Six months is a long time to be away from that hot package, isn't it? If I was you, I'd stock up – get my fill before I had to go without for so long…"

_I'm trying, Grandma__, _I thought to myself, _trust me, I'm trying_.

~oOo~

I spent the rest of the morning boxing up the clothes that littered my living room and straightening up my apartment. I realized I was going to have to find Rex a foster home since I wasn't so sure about subjecting him to the gray-haired sexual revolution that my apartment was soon to become. There are some things even Rex can't survive…

A few hours later, I met with Dillon, the building super, to explain I would be gone and Grandma Mazur would be taking up residence for the next six months. He confirmed for me that my rent had been paid in full through September. I knew this was courtesy of the US Government, just one of the contract conditions I had given to Rols. But thanks to my conversation with Dillon, I was relieved to discover the intelligence community hadn't been stupid enough to reveal themselves as the source.

It was early afternoon when I finally made my way over to the Bonds office with a bag of McDonald's. I steeled my nerves in preparation of telling Vinnie I would be unavailable for the next several months.

Connie and Lula were busy digging into lunch when I finally blurted out my news to them.

"I'm going away to Central America for the next six months."

Lula snorted. 'Yeah, right. If you tryin' to be funny, you need some new material."

"Yeah – don't be so dramatic," Connie chimed in. "Your break-up with Joe couldn't have been that bad."

I ignored the comment about Joe. "I'm serious – I was offered an internship with theOffice of Tourism in Belize, and I'm going to be gone for six months."

Lula and Connie stared at me in stunned silence.

"Is Vinnie in his office? I need to tell him that I won't be available after this week –"

The door to Vinnie's inner sanctum flew open as he jerked his head through the doorway. "Whaddya mean you're not gonna be available after this week? You have a job to do – you can't just take a six month vacation! How am I gonna make any money if I don't have bounty hunters to pick up skips?"

"You have Ranger and Joyce – and Lula might be willing to chip in. It's not like I'm the breadwinner around here." Jeez – The whole time I've worked for Vinnie I got nothing but complaints about how I did my job and now all of a sudden I'm employee-of-the-month…

"Don't think I'm gonna have your job just waiting for you when you get back, neither. Cripes, you do someone a favor and the next thing you know, they stab you in the back, leaving you high and dry…" He slammed his office door closed, leaving me to face Connie and Lula – who were still staring at me, mouths agape.

Crap – I would be in a tight situation when I got back. I thought how ironic it was for me to be forced out of my bounty hunting career now that I was no longer with Joe. He would have been so thrilled!

"You really leaving us, white girl?"

"Yeah, I'm heading out early on Sunday. But it's only for six months – it's not like I won't be back." I suddenly had a lump in my throat. I had gotten so wrapped up in my cover story, I had forgotten about the potential danger of being undercover. What if something happened and I didn't come back?

Connie's voice brought me back from that depressing tangent. "Well, since you've only got a few days left as our Bombshell Bounty Hunter, why don't you take your pick of files – I think we've got some of your favorites in here."

I sifted through a stack of FTA files, pulling out some of the old standbys – It wouldn't do to leave town without saying good-bye to Mooner and Dougie!

"So, is this why you and Super Cop split up? I bet he's not happy to hear about you leavin' town for six months." Lula was giving me the full Rhino look which could only mean she was pissed at me for holding out on her. I blew out a sigh – She was right to be hurt that I hadn't shared these latest developments with her. I decided to divulge some secrets to make up for it.

I explained that the job and the split were unrelated, but relayed all the crap Joe had said to me. Reliving his lack of faith in my abilities, I managed to get worked up all over again. I told them about Joe and Terry – leaving out how I learned about his indiscretion. I didn't want to go through that mess again today and it would only frustrate me more to think about how close I had come to my Doomsday Orgasm the last time I told that story.

"So, did you get any steamy break-up sex from Officer Hottie?" Lula was looking at me expectantly.

I shook my head slowly. "I didn't think about getting any break-up sex. Besides, he's been schtüpping Terry Gilman – I wouldn't sink that low, even for sex."

"Yeah, but break-up sex can be pretty hot." She studied my face for a moment. "Damn, girl – you look down right _frustrated_. I bet you ain't been gettin' ANY in a while – and now you're gonna be gone for six, long months – in the hot, jungles of South America. If I was you, I would go jump Batman and ride him until –"

I cut her off before I was reminded once again of my pent up frustration and what the next several months would be like if I didn't get relief. Hell, even if I did get relief, I didn't need the reminder. "Don't go there. Do NOT go there. And it's Central America, not South America. So, maybe it's not as hot down there." They looked at me speculatively. "Okay, well, maybe it will be hot, but there won't be any jungles. Probably."

We made plans to get together later that week as I stuffed my files into my shoulder bag. I turned to leave the office just as the front door swung open. That familiar tingle ran up my spine and my breath caught in anticipation as I watched a beautifully sculpted chest clad in tight black cotton come through the doorway

That delicious sight just happened to be sitting on top of the most perfect set of muscular thighs and calves I have ever laid eyes or hands on, not to mention being connected to the strong arms and broad shoulders that were calling out to me, begging to be ravaged by my fingernails. I managed to tear my gaze away from all of these tantalizing points of interest, looking up to meet those gorgeous brown eyes that told me I had been caught staring again.

I hitched my bag further up my shoulder and stalked over to where he still stood in the doorway. Before he could say a word, I shoved my hand against his chest, pushing him backwards through the door.

"Outside. Now." His eyes widened ever so slightly in mild surprise as he allowed me to maneuver him out of the office. We made our way around the side of the building and I tugged him into the alley, backing him up against the brick wall.

"Babe." There was a faint hint of amusement in his voice but I was having none of it – I was a woman on a mission.

Plunging my fingertips into the base of his thick ponytail, I pressed into him, molding myself against every hard inch of his body. I traced the tip of my tongue across his lips until they parted; the feel of our mouths sliding together stole my breath away. Intoxicated by the access and power I'd been granted, I took my time tasting and teasing him with my kiss, untangling one of my hands from his hair and using it to grip his hip. I pushed into him further and ground my aching center against him. My lips turned up in an involuntary smile at the low groan that escaped from his throat as he tried to take control of our kiss, his tongue hungrily spiraling around my own.

But he was sorely mistaken if he thought he would have the chance to take over this time!

I hastily pulled my mouth away from his and kissed my way down his neck. He drew in a sharp breath as I found the sensitive spot at his pulse point and sucked persistently there at the smooth mocha skin. I heard him growl as I pulled back, then lightly sunk my teeth into the spot I had just tortured.

His hands moved urgently under my shirt and up my sides, persistent fingertips biting into tender skin. I sensed my time in the driver's seat was quickly coming to an end. Brushing my lips lightly across his, I pulled away a fraction and rested my hands on his shoulders, taking in the dark lustful look of his half-closed eyes.

"I'm going to be out of town for a while." Instantly alert, Ranger raised an eyebrow at me. I gave my best impression of his almost smile before gently pressing my lips against his. Then I quickly pushed off of the wall and headed out of the alley, calling back to him over my shoulder, "Call Tank if you need anything."

_TBC…_


	9. Chapter 9

_Your reviews have been so encouraging – thank you so much! Extra thanks to Kashy, who bravely tackles my extraneous hyphens, among other ridiculous mistakes… Not mine, they belong to JE. This is Part I of a Babe-fic series; not recommended for Cupcakes. Rating is for language, situations, and eventually the serious smut. Spoilers through LMT. _

_NOTE: This one's a shorty – I'm so sorry for that; just a result of a natural break in the story, not laziness, I promise!_

CHAPTER NINE

Pulling into my lot a few minutes later, I let out a sigh of relief and mentally high-fived myself for maintaining my air of mystery. A very satisfied smile crept across my face as I thought back to all the times I had been left wondering where the Man in Black had run off to, when was he coming back, and why he had left me with that damned searing kiss.

For all those times that I was left behind wanting more – more info, more explanations – and ok, more kissing – now, I was finally vindicated!

The self-congratulatory smirk was still playing across my lips as I climbed out of my truck. It faded quickly, though, as I felt a warm hand settle firmly on the back of my neck.

"Feeling playful, today?"

His voice was just inches from my ear – How had I not heard him approach or at the very least seen his car?

Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie. This is _Batman_ we're talking about…

I whipped around, meeting Ranger's predatory gaze with my own look of nervousness and uncertainty. Shit! This is why I usually avoid baiting him – he always manages to turn the situation around to his advantage. I swallowed anxiously as he leaned into me, leaving only enough space between us to breathe.

"You left in a hurry. There's something you forgot to tell me."

"Uh, there is?" Suddenly, he was pushing me back against the truck, his thigh slipping between my legs, his hands on either side of me with his palms resting against the truck window. We were hidden in the shadows of the bushy fir trees that stood in a row, crowding my parking spot and shielding us from the view of any other cars in the lot. He dipped his head to brush his lips across my earlobe while he spoke softly to me.

"Yah, there is." His warm breath tickled the side of my face, making it difficult for me to concentrate on what he was saying. Was I supposed to be answering something? I couldn't remember…

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell him something – so he claims.

"'Try not to get shot'?" I asked.

"Try again."

"'Try not to get too crazy'?" He scraped his teeth against my lobe before slowly teasing it with his tongue. My mind was spinning from the sensation and I was all but lost when his thigh shifted suggestively against me. I drew my hands up to his chest, gripping the fabric of his tight t-shirt as if it were a lifeline.

"Where are you going, Babe?" He whispered gently in my ear again, following the audible caress with slow, warm kisses down the side of my neck. My God, the man could make a woman confess anything! I was ready to spill my life's secrets – until a vague recollection pierced the sex-induced fog that surrounded my brain.

"I don't have to tell you _anything_, Batman." He ignored me, continuing to methodically torment my neck with hot kisses, but I was determined not to give in so easily. "You leave town all the time –" I gasped as he pulled my already sensitive skin into his mouth, sucking at me voraciously. Then I was struggling to make a complete sentence as clusters of words tumbled from my mouth each time he released my skin. "– never get a where… _Unngh_… or a why…"

Running a finger lightly across the area where he had just feasted, he pulled the collar of my v-neck over – baring my shoulder to him. As he continued his assault on my newly exposed skin, he nudged my thighs apart with his legs and ground himself persistently against me.

Holy Bat-Balls! He was pressed so far into me we were practically having sex right there in my parking lot!

He blew a hot breath back across the trail of kisses he had just blazed, sending shivers down my spine. My self control was quickly slipping away when he rocked his hips back slightly before grinding into me again. My lobe was sucked into his mouth again before he whispered into my ear.

"Tell me – where are you going?" His hand reached down, lightly grazing his knuckles over the swollen nipple that was straining against the fabric of my clothes. The contact was fleeting but the sensation shot jolts of electricity throughout my body. It was enough to tear away the last of my restraint.

"Central America." I blurted out. There was the slightest hesitation before I felt Ranger's breath against my ear again.

"Where in Central America?"

"Belize."

Teeth scraped against my lobe one last time before Ranger dipped his head to rain kisses across my collarbone. He nudged my chin, forcing me to look skyward as he exposed my neck to a fresh onslaught of kisses. A strangled moan escaped my mouth when he tongued the hollow at the base of my throat.

Ranger's hands drifted down to my hips as he continued the slow torture of my neck. Before I had time to react, he shifted his hands under my ass, then roughly lifted my thighs up to his waist as my legs encircled him. I was pinned between his deliciously hard body and the truck, so that I was forced to lock my ankles behind him to keep my balance. I wouldn't have believed it possible a moment ago, but our new position pressed Ranger's amazing hardness further into me – he was now insistently molded between my folds, despite the layers of denim and cotton between us.

"Why?" His voice was nonchalant as he spoke between kisses.

A low guttural moan slipped over my lips as I tried to form words. "Have a job to do."

"For whom?"

"It's classified."

There was another slight pause before Ranger's kisses wandered down from my throat, pushing the bottom of my shirt collar further down my chest and exposing the very tops of my breasts. His lips tickled across my skin as he spoke.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Six months." He stilled against me momentarily.

"When are you leaving?"

"Sunday morning."

Ranger snapped his head up, fixing me with a long, heated look. "That doesn't give us much time."

I pushed my hips against his, coaxing him back into action. It seemed to work, as he fixed a look of raw desire on me before crashing his lips down on mine. His tongue searched my mouth fervently in a demanding kiss that I dared not even pretend to own. I was completely under his control and would have offered no objections if he had decided to take me right there against my truck.

I was about to suggest that we could take this exhibition up to my apartment when I heard another car pull into the lot and park a few spaces away from us. Ranger and I locked eyes as we slowly disentangled ourselves. Standing apart, I could still feel where he had been urgently pressing into me and the loss of contact almost had me swearing in frustration.

_Please don't let that be Joe, Please don't let that be Joe_, I silently chanted. No good would come of him showing up now, especially if he caught a glimpse of what had just been going on. Ranger's expression was unreadable; probably he already knew who it was and whether they had witnessed our… interaction.

We heard a car door shut followed by approaching footsteps. I sucked in a breath, preparing for the worst.

Thankfully, it wasn't Joe.

"This is the _last_ place I expected to find you."

Unfortunately, it was Jeanne Ellen.

She practically purred as she stalked over to where Ranger and I stood next to my truck. I was confused at first, thinking that she was there to see me – then, for a nanosecond, I was relieved when it dawned on me that she was speaking to Ranger. That feeling of relief was quickly replaced by a bubbling fury.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything…" I had a feeling she knew exactly what she'd been interrupting and was not the least bit sorry for it. I continued to scowl at her, willing some embarrassing mishap to ruin her perfect black suede catsuit or her perfectly coifed hair. No such luck.

"I have that info you asked me for last night… I can give it to you now, if you're available." Her smile was more than a little suggestive.

I felt like I had been sucker-punched with the realization that he had left me last night – in the middle of… of I can't even say what – to go meet with Jeanne Ellen!

"I'm sure _Babe_ won't mind if I borrow you for a few minutes." I glanced over at Ranger but his blank expression was giving nothing away as he followed Jeanne Ellen over to her perfect Jaguar. I sucked in a hiss of air when she threw a triumphant smile back at me while leading him away.

My fingers brushed against the cold metal of the gun tucked inside my bag – I figured I could shoot out her tires or maybe even ping her gas tank and blow up her damn car. No – then she'd have to stay here even longer, without a car and with the way my luck was running she'd probably end up getting '_a ride'_ from Ranger.

When I stepped into my apartment, I threw my keys onto the kitchen counter and grunted a hello in the general direction of Rex's cage, briefly remembering that I was no closer to finding him a foster home.

Standing in the middle of the living room, I could just manage to pick out Jeanne Ellen's car through my window overlooking the parking lot; I was thankful that at least I could spy without having to press my nose to the glass. She and Ranger were leaning against the side of her car looking very chummy as they stood disturbingly close to one another. Just then Ranger threw his head back and laughed at something Jeanne Ellen said.

"Well – if that just doesn't take the cake!" I yelled over to Rex, who scurried off to hide in his soup can.

What was I thinking, letting myself get lost in Ranger's kisses – again? I fumed as I looked out onto the lot. He could forget about finishing what he started with me – Oh wait, it looked like he already had!

I stalked off to my bed and threw myself down with an angry huff. If this was how seeing him with someone else made me feel when we had only kissed… Okay, we did a little more than just kiss – but still. Maybe I should be grateful to Jeanne Ellen for helping me realize no good came of following my impulses – not where Ranger was concerned, anyway.

I was in full Rhino mode when I heard a knock at the front door. I groaned inwardly at the prospect of another visit from Ranger right now. I was still debating whether or not to answer the knock, when a quick glance through the peephole showed that it wasn't Ranger on the other side. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, giving Jeanne Ellen my best Miss America smile.

"Jeanne Ellen – what brings you up to see me?" I gestured for her to come in – it wouldn't do for me to have to kill her in the hallway… too many witnesses.

She slipped through the front door, glancing surreptitiously around my meager apartment.

"Thought I'd come see how the other half lives."

"Enlightening, isn't it?"

"Let's just say I'm counting my blessings."

"What do you want?" I huffed. I didn't try to hide my irritation – my apartment is my last refuge of solace and I wasn't in the mood to have my space invaded, let alone ridiculed – and by Jeanne Ellen, at that.

She smirked as she walked the length of my living room, pausing in front of the window to look out over the parking lot.

"We've got a problem."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You didn't take my advice. You signed up for this assignment and now I'm going to spend the next six months pulling your ass out of the fire." She scrunched up her nose in a disgusted sneer as her gaze swept over my hips and down to my thighs. "Don't guess you could at least do me the favor of lightening the load?"

I narrowed my eyes as I considered going for my gun. Before I could act, Jeanne Ellen tossed a manila file at me.

"You'll need to go over this file – it has information on Belize, Jordan Bloom, Inc. and more background on Dimitri Aris. Read it backwards and forwards – with your limited skill set, you're going to need all the help you can get."

_TBC…_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for the great feedback – Glad to know there are people out there who despise Jeanne Ellen as much as I do! A huge 'Thank-you' to the extraordinarily talented Kashy, who takes the chaos I write and helps guide it into something literate._

_Not mine, they belong to JE. References pertaining to the content of this chapter are listed at the bottom of the page._

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CHAPTER TEN

When Saturday morning rolled around, I woke up early. Again. Early, but definitely not bright. This was it – less than twenty-four hours before I'd leave for my assignment in Belize, and I couldn't be more ready to shake Trenton's dust from my heels.

My denial was putting in overtime. The last few days had been unbearable as I bounced from one painful encounter to another, trying not to think about having to work with Jeanne Ellen for the next six months. And, all the while I was doing my damnedest to avoid the sex bomb that would result from another encounter with Ranger. There was no way I'd survive the level of heartache he seemed to be dishing out.

Sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee, I began to leaf through the materials Jeanne Ellen had left for me. It was a thick folder, and I'm not a fast reader, so I immediately regretted putting this off until the day before I left.

Since it was early and I already had a headache, I decided to start with the light reading – the report on Belize…

* * *

"… _there is a small international airport located in Belize City. Road signs and other notices will be in English – the official language of Belize. A variety of other languages are spoken by the citizens of Belize; the most commonly used are Creole and Spanish…"_

* * *

I wondered if I would be able to pick up some Spanish while I was on assignment – I could start off small, learn something like _Kiss off, Ranger _or _Leave me the hell alone, Batman_…

My mind wandered to the phone messages I'd received from Ranger. On Thursday, when he'd first called, my anger was still simmering just below the surface. If he wants someone to mess around with, I thought, he can just go find the Queen Bitch and get his fix!

His second message came as I was on my way out that evening to meet Mary Lou, Lula and Connie for my last Girls' Night Out. I caught his voice on the tape as I headed out the door – "_Babe,_" was all he said but that one word spoke volumes. I felt my heart melt just a little and spent the drive over to Lula's apartment berating myself for coming undone by one simple word.

* * *

"…_Garifuna and Kriol are among the primary musical folk traditions in Belize… jazz, reggae and hip-hop continue to be the main influences on modern musical tastes…"_

* * *

I was nursing a jumbo frozen margarita at the Kitten Club as I bounced around to an infectious reggae beat. I had already turned down a couple of offers to dance – I just wasn't in the mood to be groped. Okay – well, I was in the mood to be groped by someone in particular – nothing had really changed that fact. But after that someone had pretty much ditched me (twice!) for Miss Perfect, I promised myself I wouldn't give into that temptation in this lifetime, so I pretty much had to rule out ever getting groped again…

When I turned down the third attractive guy to approach our table, Connie raised an eyebrow at me. "I think you're taking this 'Girls' Night Out' a little too literally, Hon. Really, we won't object if you go out and get you a piece…"

Lula was all too happy to put her two cents in. "Damn Skippy! Since you obviously didn't take none of my advice on gettin' you some Batman lovin', we're gonna have to set you up with someone good tonight –"

"No thanks! I'm FINE. Really, I just want to hang out tonight – no guys."

Mary Lou gave me a knowing smile – she had already heard my confessions and tirades earlier when I called to make plans to go out.

"Look, here comes a fine prospect – why don't you let Lula the Love Doctor hook you two up…"

"Lula – I don't think Steph's his type," Connie sounded pretty skeptical so I turned to look at who Lula was ogling. It was fair to say that none of us were what Bachelor-Number-One was looking for – He was dressed impeccably in a shimmery gray dress shirt, fitted designer jeans and expensive-looking black oxfords. His hair was perfectly in place, his features were beautiful and his skin was absolutely flawless. In my experience, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is – in one way or another.

"I think Connie's right – look at him, he's prettier than all of us put together." I watched as he walked over to the end of the bar. He practically glided; his movements were perfect, graceful. "He's even got a better cat-walk than me."

We all watched as he walked over and put his arm around another flawlessly dressed, perfect looking guy holding a Molson Canadian Lite.

"Damn –I thought my gay-dar was better than that. Well, okay – but I'm gonna keep my eye out for you. Don't give up, yet!"

And so it continued, for the rest of the night. Lula trying to set me up with random hotties who she hoped would take me home and 'hit me with their magic stick', and me uncomfortably, but politely turning down each of her prospects.

By the end of the evening, Lula was clearly annoyed with me for rejecting so many good opportunities for mindless, hot and sweaty sex. "I think you're gonna end up with some kind of bad sex karma for turning all that down. Look at you – you're headed off into the jungle for months on end and you ain't gotten any in, God knows how long. You're gonna have to hit up some skinny bushman – with a gourd skin covering his pecker – just to get you some."

Mary Lou's eyebrows arched incredulously. "Do they really wear gourd skins… down there?"

"Uh-huh – I saw a documentary on the Discovery Channel or some shit like that. It's all ritualistic – when they get to be a certain age, they get fitted for their first. And then, as they get older, they get fitted for a larger one. If I were you, girl, I'd hold out until you got a good look at all the bushmen. You wouldn't want to be stuck with no puny gourd skin-wearing bushman, when you coulda had a 'Big Poppa' gourd skin, instead."

"I am not going to have random sex with some bushman. I don't even think there _are_ bushmen in Belize. And if there are, and I happen to meet one that I like, I'm not going to go inspecting his 'gourd' – Wait, so, they don't wear anything else over it? It's just hanging out there, for everyone to see?"

* * *

"… _varieties of iguana are indigenous to the area and prefer to lay their eggs in clearings that are especially abundant in sand… many iguanas return to the spot where they were hatched to mate or deposit their own eggs…_

* * *

On Friday, after sleeping off my hangover (and dreaming about strange men wearing gourd skins), I skipped out to get myself the cure. I was happily scarfing down the last of my grease-laden fries when I pulled back into my lot. My happiness was short-lived, though, as I spotted Joe's SUV parked near the door to my building.

He spotted my truck and climbed out, carrying a large laundry basket of what looked like my clothes and other belongings from his house. I heaved a sigh of frustration, knowing there was no way I could avoid what was coming next.

"What are you doing here, Joe?" I approached him cautiously.

He looked as good as ever in well-fitting jeans and a white t-shirt, his dark leather bomber jacket accentuating his brown eyes. He set the basket on the hood of the SUV and turned back to face me.

"It's good to see you, too, Cupcake. I thought you might want the rest of your things back, before you skip town." I didn't miss the sarcasm or the resentment that was laced through his words.

"I'm not skipping town, Joe – I'm leaving for a job."

"It sure feels like you're skipping town. Like you're running away from dealing with us – our future." He looked lost, just like a little boy – but instead of feeling any endearment towards him, I just felt burdened. After we had treated each other so terribly, how he could still think we would work together was beyond me.

"What future exactly am I running from?" I asked quietly.

"Come on, Steph – you know that we can get over this and move on. You really want to throw away all of our plans for marriage and kids – for what, for Ranger? You can't seriously think he's worth it!"

"Joe, I've already explained this isn't about my feelings for Ranger – This is about how badly we've treated each other. If you weren't going to be true to our relationship, you at least owed it to me to be honest about it. And I certainly should have told you sooner that I had feelings for another man." Blinking back tears, I looked up at him, willing him to see the truth in what I was saying. "We weren't good to each other, and we're not good FOR each other. Nothing is going to change that."

I moved to retrieve my basket and he pulled me to him. Pushing his face into my hair, he held me tightly. "I don't want to let you go."

I didn't have a response for that – I could only hope that my leaving would help him adjust to the idea of being without me. I managed to pull away from him and put some distance between us.

"I'm sorry, Joe."

* * *

"… _Throughout its quest for independence and still today, Belize struggles to establish its national identity. From an outsider's perspective it is seen as another Central American country. However, the diversity of the population brings a strong influence from the Caribbean – resulting in a confliction for the Belizean people as they define who they are…"_

* * *

I was headed to dinner with my parents on Friday evening. A peaceful calm settled on me as I drove through the 'Burg, realizing that I was going to have six months free of the 'Burg grapevine, the harassing calls from my mother, the tedious and embarrassing trips to viewings with Grandma Mazur – I even guiltily relished the reprieve from Mary Alice's neighing along with Val and Albert's pillow talk at the dinner table.

Grandma Mazur met me at the door to my parents' house, wearing a fuchsia jumpsuit and a sympathetic smile.

"Your mother's been cooking since eight this morning – she's made all of your favorites." I groaned inwardly. To most people, a home-cooked meal of all your favorites would be a delight. In the 'Burg, though, it meant a major guilt trip. What seemed like a thoughtful send-off before my trip to Belize was actually my mother's way of saying what a good mother she is to me and all I do in return is break her heart.

Grandma Mazur led me inside and headed to the kitchen to help get dinner on the table. I closed the front door softly behind me and leaned back against it, taking in all the sounds and smells of the house. I stayed there for a few minutes – committing to memory this one peaceful moment, knowing the rest of the evening would be fraught with tension and chaos.

It started with Valerie.

"Stephanie, tell us about your trip – what is Belize like?" We were sitting at the dining room table, passing dishes around and trying to talk over Baby Lisa's constant half-babble, half-scream.

"Well, I've never been, so I really don't know much about the area –"

Valerie's daughter, Angie, cut in with her vast knowledge of Belize. "Belize is a tropical country in Central America, formerly known as British Honduras. It achieved full independence from the British in 1981. It has a diverse terrain consisting of reefs, rain forests, and cays, along with a wealth of Mayan ruins."

We all stared at Valerie's annoying little prodigy. I wondered whether she was the author of the report I had to read.

Valerie's husband Albert decided to put his two cents in.

"Rain Forests, huh? That sounds like it could be dangerous – poisonous snakes, bugs, and such." Out of the corner of my eye I caught my mother crossing herself. "Do you think you'll have to go into the rain forest? I'd hate to get lost out there…"

"I'll be working in the Office of Tourism in Belize City. I don't think I'll run into much of the rain forest there –"

Angie cut in again. "The danger in Belize City is the crime. It has a high rate of drug abuse and lots of drug traffickers." We all stared at her again.

"Where did you hear all of this?" I asked.

"National Geographic." I rolled my eyes. Growing up, I had only read National Geographic to poke fun at the pictures of naked people. Speaking of, I wonder if Angie knows if there are any bushmen in Belize…

"Dear God, Stephanie," My mother looked over at my imploringly. Had I said that out loud?

"You can't seriously be going through with this? You could get hurt down there – or worse yet, killed." Okay – so _not_ what I wanted to be thinking about. I sucked in a deep breath, willing my patience to hold out.

"… and what about Joseph?" And there goes my patience.

"What about Joe? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Well, what does he think about you going down there? Is this why you two broke up? You know he is only thinking of your best interest –" I snorted in response to that statement. Yeah, he was really thinking of my best interest when he banged Terry Gilman. "… don't you want to settle down? To get married again someday – soon, and have children? If it's not Joseph, who will it be?"

"Maybe she'll meet some hot guy down in Belize!" My mother crossed herself again at Grandma's comment. I thought it best not to bring up the prospect of the Bushmen just yet.

_TBC…_

* * *

Kitten Club:_ Club in Melbourne, Australia  
_Excerpts from the report on Belize: _Belize: Reefs, Rain Forests, and Mayan Ruins; _Lutz, Dick (2005)  
Bushmen Documentary_: Lula was actually remembering a documentary on the Telefomin Tribe of Papua New Guinea, who actually do wear gourd skins, or 'penis gourds'._

_

* * *

_


	11. Chapter 11

_Not mine, they belong to JE. Thanks for the supportive and entertaining reviews – I am so glad you are liking this…_

_I wasn't going to post until Wednesday, but have been persuaded to post a little earlier… (FYI – Chapter 12 will be the conclusion of Part I of this series…)_

_As always, super huge thanks to the wonderfully talented Kashy - Hope you enjoy!_

CHAPTER ELEVEN

By early Saturday afternoon, I had read as much of the file as I could; my vision was blurred and my mind was numb. I decided this was the perfect state of mind for the final task before I left town: Picking up Mooner.

My dad had driven me back from my parents' house the night before, so that I could leave my truck there while I was away, but since I needed transportation to pick up Mooner, I asked Lula if she would mind tagging along. We spent a few hours watching a marathon of Bewitched episodes, as we debated who played a better Darrin – Dick York or Dick Sargent. Mooner was psyched over discovering there had been two different 'Darrins'; he'd apparently never noticed.

We finally got Mooner over to the cop shop by about four, and I pleaded with Lula to wait around for me this time. I had been praying I wouldn't run into Joe while I was at the station, so when I made it outside without incident, I was greatly relieved. Nothing on my plate for the rest of the day, I thought – just rest and relaxation as I get ready to blow this Popsicle joint!

I walked over to where we had parked – only I didn't find Lula's Firebird waiting for me. Instead, parked in its place was a black, Porsche 911 Turbo. And instead of Lula, I found Batman himself, leaning casually against his car with the slightest hint of a 'gotcha' smile tugging at his lips.

"What have you done with Lula?" I didn't try to hide the accusation in my tone. I knew it wouldn't have taken much to persuade Lula to abandon her post outside the police station, but the prospect of running into Ranger – now, when I had nothing left to distract me before leaving – had me frantic.

He didn't answer at first and I was momentarily distracted from my anger as I took in the perfect form in front of me. Ranger was looking yummy in a pair of dark blue jeans and CATs, but my gaze lingered even longer over the tight black, thermal pullover he was wearing – or rather, the delights it was showing off. I eventually tore my eyes from that delectable sight and noticed his self-satisfied smirk; I had been caught staring and more than likely, drooling, as well.

"Disappointed?" His hair was loose today, but held away from his face by his mirrored sunglasses that sat on top of his head. It gave him a wild look and I considered for just a moment what the harm would be in losing myself in Ranger for a few hours.

Heartache – that's what the harm would be, I remembered, thinking back to my last encounter with Ranger. With a frustrated scowl, I squashed down all my feelings of desire and whipped out my cell phone. As I hit the number for my parent's house, intending to get my dad to come give me a lift, Ranger pushed off of the Turbo and met me in two strides. In one deft move, he snatched the phone from my hand, powered it off and snapped it shut.

"Excuse me? I was trying to make a call – I'd like to get a ride home, preferably one that doesn't require selling my soul to the devil himself!"

Ranger pocketed my cell and gave me a feral grin. "Trust me. It'll be more fun this way." He tugged me over to the Turbo and held the passenger door open for me. When I didn't move to get in, he snaked an arm around my waist and yanked me over to him, plastering me against his body. I gave him a dazed look as the sight, smell and feel of Ranger overwhelmed me. I was just pondering how taste and sound could be incorporated into this experience when he gave me a 200 watt smile.

"Babe." His voice was low and gruff, sending a shiver down my back. Then he leaned forward, capturing my lips in his with a gentle but possessive kiss, eventually pushing my lips apart. The meeting of our tongues sent sparks of electricity shooting down to my toes and stole my breath away. There was no doubt that little sensory exploration was a success. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find myself seated in the Turbo, seatbelt fastened and Ranger jogging over to the driver's side.

We drove to my apartment in silence, which of course was nothing unusual – it gave me the chance to come back to earth from the sensory overload I had experienced. The sun was setting on my final night in Trenton and I contemplated what I would be doing at this time the next day.

As we pulled into the lot outside my building, I noticed several lights were on in my apartment. Ranger must have sensed my apprehension, pulling into a parking spot and shutting off the engine. He led me into the building and up the stairs where he motioned for me to stay in the hallway as he searched the apartment with his gun drawn.

Through the open door, the jazzy strains of Sinatra's _Come Fly With Me_ drifted out into the hallway where I stood. Realizing only one person in this world would break into my apartment to play Golden Oldies, I felt a small twinge of panic – for Ranger.

I made my way back to my bedroom and practically fell on the floor laughing at what I saw. Grandma Mazur had Ranger pinned to the floor and was straddling him, her blue jersey-knit dress hiked up to her flabby thighs as she sang along with Frankie.

"How in the world - - did she manage - - to pin you –" Ranger wore such a look of shock that I could barely get my question out as tears of laughter streamed down my face. "You _really_ should be more aware of your surroundings!"

Grandma Mazur leaned down as if to lay a big wet one on Ranger. I figured that was my cue to intervene and hauled her to her feet before she could make contact. Ranger slipped into my bathroom – whether to straighten up or wash off the senior citizen cooties, I'm not sure – leaving me to deal with Grandma Mazur.

"What on earth happened? He was only in here for two seconds –"

"I was just showing him one of my defensive moves." I had to laugh at that – remembering the time I'd used that excuse. I looked around the room and saw that for all practical purposes, Grandma Mazur had moved into my apartment – and it looked like she fully intended her residency to begin tonight.

"What are you doing here now? You know I'm not leaving until the morning, right?"

"Sure – but you weren't really going to spend your last night in Trenton alone in your apartment, were you? I figured you would be out sowing your wild oats before your big trip." The door to the bathroom opened and Ranger settled leisurely against the doorframe, an amused smile quirked across his lips as Grandma continued on. "You need to go relieve some of that tension you've been carrying around – remember what I said? Six months is a long time…"

"Okay, okay, Grandma – I get what you're driving at. But I'm not –"

"Let's go, Babe – get your stuff together." Ranger moved to the bedroom door.

"Ranger, I'm not going to –"

"After this," he gestured to where he had been sprawled on the floor, "you at least owe me dinner."

"That wasn't my fault!"

There was a knock at my front door just then and I started to make my way out of the bedroom to see who it was. Before I could get there, though, it opened and three elderly men, all under five-foot-four came through the door, carrying bags of food and bottles of gin and Wild Turkey. I turned to Grandma Mazur and gave her a quizzical look.

"Ah, the canasta group is here – We're all set for a night of gambling, booze – and maybe stripping!" She winked at the group holding the bags and they waggled their eyebrows in return.

One man had thick tufts of yellow-gray hair sticking out of his ears and wore glasses so thick; his eyes were magnified in ridiculous proportion to the rest of his features. "Don't forget about the cigars! I brought Black & Milds."

"There's no smoking in here. It's against the terms of my lease." I gave Grandma Mazur a stern look.

"Who's the tight-ass, Edna?" Yellow-Ear-Hair asked.

"**I'm **the person whose name is on the lease – this is **my **apartment. And there's **no **smoking in here."

"This is my granddaughter, Stephanie. Stephanie – this is Sal Abramowitz." She turned and introduced me to the other two men.

Yellow-Ear-Hair was giving me the once-over. "What're you so uptight about? You haven't been getting' any, have you?"

I started to protest but he cut me off. "When you get to be our age, you figure out what's really important in life. Gettin' some and staying regular. So which is it, Toots? One of 'em's obviously got your drawers in a knot."

I heard Ranger laughing behind me – to the extent that Ranger ever really laughs out loud. I turned and gave him a murderous look, which only made his smile that much wider. I decided to ignore Yellow-Ear-Hair's question and stalked off to the kitchen. I was leaning over Rex's cage, contemplating where I was going to stay the night when I felt Ranger's arms around my waist, pulling me back against his chest.

"Get your stuff and let's go. You owe me dinner. And if you're good, I'll take care of dessert." Oh boy. That was what I was afraid of. But listening to the commotion coming from my living room, I realized I didn't have much choice.

I turned and gave him a resigned look. "Ok – My bags are already in the living room. Let me just feed Rex –" I had a flash of panic. "Omigod – Rex!" Ranger gave me a confused look.

"I forgot I still need to find someone to watch him while I'm gone. I've asked everyone and no one will take him for that long – and no way can I leave him here, with God-knows-what going on…" I dropped my head in my hands, close to tears over what a bad Hamster Mommy I was. How could I have forgotten about Rex?

Ranger watched me quietly for a moment, and then spoke so softly, I barely heard him.

"Bring the rat."

I looked up at him, not believing I had heard correctly. "What?"

He shook his head slightly, then scooped up Rex's cage and tucked it under his arm as he walked into the living room to get my duffle. I followed him and grabbed my shoulder bag, shaking the look of disbelief from my face. I kissed Grandma good-bye and headed out the door of my apartment for what would be the last time in a long while.

_TBC…_


	12. Chapter 12

_Thanks to all of you who've followed this – especially those who gave me feedback along the way – I've really enjoyed hearing your thoughts & reactions to the story. I cannot thank Kashy enough for helping me turn this into something more cohesive and understandable! _

_Not mine, they belong to JE. Major smut warning. This is the final chapter… but the story continues in Part II of the series, to be posted soon.  
Hope you enjoy…_

CHAPTER TWELVE

Arriving at the RangeMan building, we headed up to the fifth floor so Ranger could check in. I sat down in one of his guest chairs in his office while he stood at his desk and flipped through a stack of contracts left for his review. I took advantage of his slight preoccupation to study his captivating features.

Everything about Ranger exudes strength and power, but it's what is reflected across his face that has always captured my respect and unfailing trust. Despite the usual blank face, those familiar brown eyes hold such courage and vigilance - it's what makes his gaze so penetrating at times and has also made me feel safe, secure...

Contemplating these traits, my mind wandered to the numerous times that vigilance and fearlessness saved my life or the lives of those I care about. Too many times for me to count, I realized. With that thought, the doubts and fears over this assignment in Belize – feelings I had tried to keep bottled up so far - all quickly rose to the surface.

"Deep thoughts, Babe?" Ranger was still sifting through the paperwork on his desk.

"What – Why do you ask?"

"You've been studying me like I'm an original Rembrandt. See something you like?" I scowled at the wolf grin he gave me, as he came around the desk and pulled me up into his arms.

"Are you ever afraid, Ranger?" He answered me with a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously, do you ever worry that you've committed to something that you won't be able to do?"

Some emotion I couldn't read flashed briefly across his face. A moment later he looked slightly amused.

"Are you telling me that THE Bombshell Bounty Hunter is afraid – the woman who would risk life and limb for friends and family – even FTAs, is _afraid_?" I fixed my death glare on the almost-smile he was now wearing as I struggled to extract myself from his embrace. He wasn't having it.

"Stephanie, there's nothing you can't do –" I rolled my eyes and tried to look away but he took hold of my chin and guided my face back to his. "You've accomplished so much already – and that's with your gun tucked away in a goddamn cookie jar." An enigmatic smirk crept across his face as he wrapped me tighter in his embrace. "And you came awfully close to domesticating Morelli…"

I tried to wriggle my arms free to punch him in the gut, but before I could pull it off he leaned down and kissed me softly. With his lips brushing against mine, he whispered, "You even make a man without a future dream about 'someday'."

Before his words could register with me he kissed me again, hungrily, this time, as he ran his hands up my back and drew me even closer. Being engulfed in Ranger was intoxicating and it took several moments for me to break through the haze that surrounded me when we pulled apart.

"Now, if _you_ would only work on being more aware of _your_ surroundings…" The self-satisfied smirk Ranger wore snapped me back to reality. Suddenly, I was livid at the thought that this had all been some sort of payback for what happened back at my apartment. Before I could retaliate, though, he tugged one of my curls and turned me towards the door to his office.

"About that dinner you owe me – Go tell Ella what you want her to fix. I'm sure between the two of you, you'll come up with my favorite dishes." I turned to glare at him again and was met with another shameless wolf-grin.

I stomped out of his office, irritated by the power he always seemed to have over me. As I rode up to the seventh floor I fumed over my need to take him down a few notches – he was entirely too smug over his effect on me. A brilliant idea flashed through my head as I reached for the intercom button in Ranger's apartment. Ella greeted me cheerfully.

"Ella – do you happen to have any chocolate-chip cookie dough? You know, the frozen kind?"

Twenty minutes later, I heard the locks tumble as I looked down on the masterpiece I had prepared. I was more than a little surprised when Ella said she only had the cookie dough on hand after Ranger had requested it several months back. He apparently had been very adamant that it was the frozen, store-bought kind, which I think insulted Ella, considering her amazing baking skills. It was more than a little surprising, considering Ranger never eats dessert – but I decided I was nowhere near the right state of mind to deal with that revelation.

My plate of ten perfect chocolate-chip cookies, fresh out of the oven, was resting on the floor of the living room as I stood proudly next to it in the lacy tank top and boxers I had changed into. I caught Ranger's surprised look as he came through the door.

"Chasing away more demons, Babe?"

"More like marking my territory." I pulled a cookie off the plate and offered it to him. "Dinner is served."

Ranger regarded me cautiously as he crossed the room to where I stood. Standing directly in front of me, he studied me silently for a few minutes before reaching out to grasp my wrist.

"Nuh-uh." Shaking my head at him, I withdrew my hand out of his reach and backed up a step before tugging him over to the couch. He gave me a bemused smile as he followed my direction.

Once he was seated, I climbed onto his lap, straddling him, and brought the cookie to his mouth. His eyes were locked on mine as he slowly parted his lips, baring gleaming white teeth ready to bite down on my offering. As I continued to feed him bites of cookie, he held my gaze, but never touched me with his hands. He seemed to sense my desire to be in control, and in a way, his relinquishing that power turned me on that much more.

I circled my arms around his neck and rocked my hips against his, feeling his impressive erection as it ground against me. I drew his head up to me and encircled his lips with mine, sucking lightly before slowly releasing them, then pulling them back to me and plying them apart with my tongue. He let me explore his mouth as my fingers tangled in the luxurious strands of his dark silky hair. Bringing one hand around to his face, I cupped his cheek as I bit down gently on his lower lip and slowly pulled away.

There was no mistaking the look of desire reflected in his eyes as he again silently held my gaze. There was a slight tension to his shoulders as he restrained himself from taking control – his hands resting only lightly on my hips. I shifted in his lap to give myself more room as my fingers skimmed across his chest and down to his navel, stopping when they reached his waist. I traced my fingers over his length where it pushed against his jeans and claimed victory at the slight hitch in his breath each time I reached the tip.

Slowly, I unfastened his jeans and peeled the fabric back to free his velvety hardness waiting patiently for me. I lightly raked my nails across the smooth skin that lead inward from his hips and leaning forward, blew a gentle breath from base to tip before grasping and pulling his length between my hands. I continued to hold his gaze as I braced one hand behind me on his knee and rubbed the base of his cock with increasing intensity, encouraged when his breathing became more and more ragged.

At the height of the intensity, I pulled my hand away, ignoring the low growl released from Ranger's throat and tugged at his sweater. Once his delicious mocha-latte chest was bared to me, I pushed myself off of his lap. He gave me a predatory look as I stood and hooked my thumbs in the waistband of my shorts, quickly tugging them off. I then bent forward and kissed a blissful path across his chest and down over his abs before pushing his jeans further down his legs, finally stripping away the last of his clothes.

My lips reached Ranger's expansive tip and I pulled it into my mouth as I brought his hands up to my head, pushing his fingers into my loose curls. Kneeling at his feet, I reached out for him again and pulled as I sucked as much of his length as I could manage into my mouth. He let out a fierce groan as I managed to relax my muscles and slowly guide him to the back of my throat. I held him there for a few beats before pulling him out and back in again, just as far.

Once I had thoroughly tasted him, I rose and peeled off my lacy thong and tank top. Then, I took my place back in his lap and this time as I straddled him, we sat skin to skin. Wrapping my fingers around him, I rubbed and pulled while guiding his hand to my warm center. My breath caught as he pushed two long talented fingers between my lips and into my opening. As he thrust in and out of me, I gripped his hand in mine and twisted my two fingers around his, plunging our joined hands back into my wetness.

"Christ, Stephanie – _Dios!_"

Ranger's control was gradually slipping away but I kept up the motions of both hands on us. Eventually, I pulled our hands from inside of me and lifted my fingers to his lips, spreading my moisture for him to taste. He mirrored my actions, bringing his fingers to my mouth as he licked his lips and sucked at my fingers. Watching him taste me as I tasted myself was almost too much for me to bear and I finally lifted my hips, allowing him to push into me.

He filled me completely and I couldn't help but grind my hips against his. I locked eyes with him and rotated my hips as his hands pressed me firmly to him. It was unbelievable how much control he was giving me – and the power was intoxicating.

I locked my wrists behind his head and closed my eyes as I kept up the rhythm that seemed innate to me. Ranger's hands gripped my lower back as I picked up the pace, throwing my head back and losing myself in the feel of him. As I felt myself closing in on my climax, I spread my knees further apart to take in as much of him as possible. The rhythm, the tempo, the force of Ranger repeatedly driving into me, it all sent me over the edge with a series of wild and wanton screams until I was left quaking in his arms.

When I finally came down from my climax and my breathing had started to normalize, I opened my eyes and was nearly doubled over by Ranger's look of absolute desire. His eyes held such hunger and eroticism – it was breathtaking to witness.

"Take me to your bed."

Ranger stood up with me still wrapped around him, his throbbing erection begging for release. As he made his way through the apartment, he devoured my lips with kisses, stopping only when we reached the foot of his bed.

Ranger set me down, then skimmed his hands leisurely over my hips and sides, before wrapping his arms around my waist and squeezing me tightly to him. After releasing me, he lightly traced my collarbone before whispering his fingertips down over my arms. The lustful look from earlier had me prepared to be ravaged – but the way he was handling me was so different, so unexpected. I felt worshiped – cherished.

Rough fingers traced across my jaw and I leaned into his touch, willing our lips to meet in a similarly tender embrace. I wasn't disappointed as he gently brought his lips to mine, where they lingered as if savoring the connection.

I was breathless as we pulled apart and unsure of what I was seeing in Ranger's eyes – it was unreadable and surprising all at once. There was no time to process it though, as he guided me to the bed and knelt over me, kissing and palming my breasts. He swooped one arm under me and pulled me up to him as he persistently sucked one of my breasts into his mouth. I cried out loud at the sensation only to have him switch unmercifully to my other breast and begin again. My hands wandered to the back of his head and pressed him to me as he spread my legs apart with his thighs. He kissed his way up to my neck and incessantly sucked at my skin there as he pushed into me, his hands pulling me up to him as he lifted us off the mattress. I wound my legs around his waist when he sat back on his heels and we pushed against each other.

He captured my lips again within his and teased me with his tongue. I parted my lips and he pushed into my mouth, stroking my tongue in the same rhythm he was stroking my center. He tangled a hand in my hair while wrapping his free arm tightly around my waist, using both to repeatedly lift me up and push me down again onto his cock.

My arms were again locked behind his neck when I felt another climax building and I squeezed my thighs tighter around his waist. Our breath was ragged as our mouths pulled apart again, Ranger pushing into me harder as I felt myself pulling him into me further. I felt him swell inside of me and was overcome by the sensation. I cried out – his name bouncing again and again off the walls of his bedroom. I heard my name join his as he cried out his own release and pushed me into the mattress beneath him.

I kept my legs wrapped around him as we rode out our aftershocks. Ranger rested his elbows on either side of my shoulders, one hand gently brushing away the hair that fell in my face, the other tracing my brow line with his thumb. Not knowing what to say, I mindlessly ran my fingers up his spine, out over his shoulders, down to his lower back, and up again, following the same slow path over and over again. We lay there for what seemed like forever – refusing to break the spell that held us. Ranger tipped his head and brushed his lips against mine, lingering there for a moment before pulling away and starting over again.

We didn't speak when he eventually turned us over, pulling me back against him and wrapping his arms around me. He raised his wrist to where I could clearly see his watch and helped me set the alarm for the time that I needed, and then pulled the blankets over us, kissing the top of my head as we drifted off to sleep.

~oOo~

The pre-dawn sky was showing the slightest tinge of pink as the cab pulled up outside of the building on Haywood. I tried to avoid sucking in the sharp March air through my nose as I helped the driver load my bags into the trunk. There was no traffic on the street and few lights were on in any of the surrounding buildings.

Of course, it took all that was in me not to look up to the seventh floor behind me. I briefly closed my eyes, remembering the sight of a bare-chested Ranger waiting for the elevator with me. I touched my fingertips to my lips, still feeling the kiss that had started off gently and finished with a burning passion – as if nothing from the night before had satisfied our cravings. I ignored the sound of the cab's trunk slamming shut; instead hearing Ranger's parting words to me.

"_Come back to me, Babe."_

I climbed into the back of the cab, giving Trenton-Mercer Airport as my destination, and turned to take my last look at Trenton through the rear window. I couldn't stop the stream of tears that ran down my cheeks as the RangeMan building faded from sight, and a single light on the top floor was switched off.

_Continued in "Sympathy for the Devil", Part II of the series (to be posted, soon)…_


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